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REPORT TO: CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICES COMMITTEE ON

23 AUGUST 2017 SUBJECT: SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE REVIEWS BY: CORPORATE DIRECTOR (EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CARE) 1. REASON FOR REPORT 1.1 The purpose of this report is to share the findings of the Schools for the Future

Review visits to the Buckie Associated Schools Group (ASG) which took place in March and April 2017.

1.2 This report is submitted to Council in terms of Section III (D) (1) of the Council's Scheme of Administration relating to exercising all of the functions of the Council as Education Authority within the terms of relevant legislation with regard to nursery, primary and secondary education.

2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that Committee:

(i) scrutinises and notes the report; and (ii) consideres and agrees the recommendations from the individual

reports shown in Appendix 1. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 At its meeting on 2 March 2016 the Committee agreed to note the outcome of

the consultation and pilot work done on the draft ‘Schools for the Future Policy’ and to refer the draft policy to The Moray Council for approval (paragraph 7 of the minute refers).

3.2 As a pilot, all schools in the Forres ASG were audited against the schools for the future criteria. Indicators for Criterion 2 - School Rolls and Criterion 3 - Financial Position are statistical and the data is held centrally. Criterion 1 - Quality of Educational Experiences was audited by teams of central officers and peer Head Teachers who spent up to one day in each school observing learning and teaching, interviewing Head Teachers, teaching staff, non-teaching staff and pupils and examining documentation and samples of pupils’ work. The size of the team was proportionate to the size of the school, and ranged from two to four people. This audit process was very similar to the

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Quality Audit process previously operated by Educational Services and School Reviews carried out by the then Continuous Improvement Team.

3.3 Full details of the pilot reviews were discussed at a Members’ workshop on 16

February 2016. 3.4 The final policy was approved at a meeting of the Moray Council on 25 May

2016 (para 9 of the minute refers). At this time is was also agreed that two ASGs would be visited per year to undertake reviews. Over session 2016/17 the chosen ASGs were Lossiemouth and Buckie.

3.5 Prior to the start of the session there was an invitation to Headteachers, Depute Headteachers and Principal Teachers of Additional Support Needs to undertake Peer Reviewer training so that the pool of Peer Reviewers was increased. This also provided an opportunity for current reviewers to undergo refresher training. This went ahead in the Autumn of 2016 with over 40 reviewers receiving training from Moray’s Attainment Adviser who works with Education Scotland. As a result there is a larger pool of reviewers and the plan is to extend this further next session to include opportunities for Principal Teachers from both primary and secondary schools.

3.6 The Head of Schools and Curriculum Development and the Quality Improvement Officer team reflected on the experience of the pilot reviews and made minor adjustments to the review process. This included templates of review documentation to be sent to the schools prior to a visit as well as question banks for focus groups and meetings and a classroom observation sheet linked to the department’s updated Learning and Teaching strategy. They also put in place a pre-visit briefing for those involved in the process.

3.7 The report for Lossiemouth ASG was scrutinised and noted by Committee on 8 March 2017 (para 8 of the minute refers) with follow up visits, to assess progress and impact, agreed for Lossiemouth High School, Hythehill and Burghead Primaries which will take place by the end of the year.

3.8 It was further agreed that a pairing should be considered should Burghead Primary School not appoint a permanent Headteacher. This has since been reviewed in light of information regarding future planning proposals in the two towns as well as further discussion with Burghead Parent Council. As such an Acting Head Teacher has been appointed for 23 months and takes up post in August 2017. This will provide much needed stability in leadership and management at the school.

3.9 Buckie ASG Schools were visited mainly in March although the Additional Support Needs visits took place in the final term of the session and so reports were not finalised until recently. The final report and recommendations for all schools are contained in Appendix 1 - 9.

3.10 As a result of this review the ovrall sustainability of certain schools is questioned.

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3.11 The Cullen Headteacher post has been advertised twice. After the second

advertisement, initial interviews were initiated but these did not proceed to a final interview. The post will be advertised again in the new term. There was no question regarding the quality of educational experience under the leadership of the current Headteacher. However, if this post were not to be filled on the third advert then sustained future leadership arrangements would be concerning.

3.12 Looking at the physical capacities of the schools based on the school roll forecasts July 2017 version (based on Annual School Census data 2016) they are: Physical capacities are based on floor area and classroom sizes. Functional capacities are based on class sizes and roll. Physical/Roll is calculated by total roll/physical capacity.

School Functional Physical/Roll 2017 2019 2021 2023 2024 BHS N/A 75% 81% 88% 90% 94% Cluny 86% 73% 74% 75% 82% 83% Cullen 69% 62% 62% 59% 61% 59% Findochty 30% 27% 29% 25% 22% 21% Millbank 53% 50% 51% 50% 48% 46% Portessie 56% 47% 52% 55% 62% 60% Portgordon 41% 37% 40% 41% 41% 41% Portknockie 40% 35% 42% 44% 50% 47% St Peters 94% 73% 76% 74% 74% 73% Taking this into consideration, Buckie High’s projected roll is forecast to rise. Four of the primary schools have a projected physical capacity of less than 50%. It would be beneficial to consider in more detail a strategy for the school estate within the Buckie area so that it provides a 21st Century education for the children and young people.

3.13 The two ASGs to be reviewed in session 2017/18 will be Elgin Academy (November-December 2017) and Elgin High School (February-March 2018). They were chosen as other ASGs have had very recent Education Scotland Inspections.

4. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS

(a) Moray 2026: A Plan for the Future and Moray Corporate Plan 2015-2017

The contents of this report relate to Priority 3 – ‘Ambitious and confident children’.

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(b) Policy and Legal The policy is designed to provide the Council with clear criteria which will guide the Council in formulating any proposals for changes to the school estate under the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

(c) Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising directly from this report. However, there may be financial impact in implementing this policy should members wish to consider the recommendations of individual reports.

(d) Risk implications Implementing a criterion based approach to assessing school sustainability should reduce the risk of further deterioration in school building condition and suitability. The strategy outlined in the policy should optimise educational benefits for pupils and ensure equality of opportunity in terms of access to educational provision and facilities.

(e) Staffing implications

There are no staffing implications arising directly from this report.

(f) Property There are no property issues arising directly from this report.

(g) Equalities

None arising directly from this report

(h) Consultations

Senior Officers in Education and Social Care, the Business Support Team Manager, the Quality Improvement Officers, the Head of Direct Services, the Head of Housing and Property, Frances Garrow, Joint Acting Head of HR and ICT, Deborah Brands, Principal Accountant, the Legal Services Manager (Litigation and Licensing), the Democratic Services Manager, Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers (LNCT) Union side joint chair, Buckie ASG Headteachers and the Equal Opportunities Officer have been consulted and are in agreement with the contents of this report as regards their respective responsibilities.

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5. CONCLUSION 5.1 Committee is asked to consider the recommendations at Appendix 1

relating to the Buckie ASG primary school estate. Author of Report: Vivienne Cross (Head of Schools and Curriculum

Development) Background Papers: Ref:

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Appendix 1 BUCKIE HIGH SCHOOL

1. Quality Educational Experience 1.1 Attainment In 2015/16 standards of attainment in SQA examinations were as follows; The attainment of leavers, taken from the attainment data for 2015/16, show that the percentage of young people attaining Level 5 in Literacy and Numeracy was below the Moray Average. The percentage of school leavers attaining level 4 in Literacy and Numeracy is also below the Moray Average. However, there is an improving trend in Level 4 Literacy and Numeracy, as well as Level 5 Literacy. In S4 the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 and Level 5 in Literacy and Numeracy is well below the Moray Average, as well as national and virtual comparator averages. The percentage of S5 pupils achieving 1+ and 5+ Level 6 awards by the end of S5 is above the Moray Average but below the national average. Pupils achieving 3+ Level 6 awards was well below the Moray Average, including national/virtual comparators. However, there is an improving trend since 2013/14 in 3+ and 5+ Level 6 awards. In S6 the percentage of pupils achieving 1+ Level 7 awards was significantly higher than the Moray average, with an improving trend, but still lower than the national average, and S6 pupils attaining 3+ and 5+ Level 7 awards is well below the Moray average. When reviewing the data in relation to the percentage of school leavers in an initial positive destination there is an improving trend, with an increase from 87.8% in 2011/12 to 94.9% in 2015/16. This figure is also above both the Moray and National average, as well as the virtual comparator. Referring to the ‘Buckie High School Attainment and Achievement Review’ (2016) the school have recognised that there is an overall improving trend in the majority of subjects and they have identified the need to focus on Numeracy, as the weaker subject in comparison to Literacy. A Numeracy coordinator has been incorporated into the job-sizing of the PT Maths and the school are now offering Lifeskills Maths at National 5. 1.2 Wider school activities Pupils’ achievements are recognised both in and out of school with an extensive range of opportunities available for wider achievement. These include various sporting activities such as football, orienteering and volleyball and a number of extra-curricular clubs also offer art, modern languages, chess and Fifa, run by both pupils and staff volunteers. There are also several committees in operation within the school, including a Health and Wellbeing group, a Sports Committee and a fundraising project, focussed on supporting a school in Tanzania, which pupils have the opportunity to visit every second year. Pupils actively participate in voluntary programmes and regularly take responsibility for a number of leadership roles within the school including ‘Transform leaders’ in S5/S6 and Radio Buckie. There are also prefect roles within the school which

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include the organisation and running of the Swimming Gala and House Captains are also actively involved in organising and leading assemblies. The P7 transition programme is also organised and run by senior pupils. Furthermore, S3 pupils participate in a ‘Dynamic Youth Award’ scheme and work experience opportunities are readily available within the local community. The Buckie High’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) meet fortnightly to discuss pupil progress and wider achievement and there are pathway planning meetings for all pupils S3 onwards. There are strong CLD links through the Youth Work team, which also plans jointly for wider achievement. There is an annual prize giving which celebrates a wide range of achievements across the Senior Phase. Within the Broad General Education annual house assemblies are held to recognise personal and schools achievements of young people. Pupil views are regularly sought through initiatives such as ‘Pupils Aloud’ and via the schools’ Senior Council. 1.3 ASN provision 160 pupils are registered with an ASN equating to 22.1% of school roll (725) – well below Moray average (30.4%). The Support for Learning department has a paper based process of referral and assessment to identify effectively those in mainstream classes requiring support. There is an established enhanced transition for those pupils transferring from primary to secondary to ensure that they are better prepared for the move. Pupils needing additional assessment arrangements for SQA exams are identified early and there is a robust process for keeping evidence and communication with subject teachers. Benefits would be gained from recording information electronically for all aspects of additional support needs to increase efficiency of, communication, updates and improved confidentiality. Pupils with SEBN are supported via the very successful ‘Transform’ unit which offers those at risk of exclusion support to self-reflect and modify their coping strategies. Mostly the role of challenge for the more able is taken within the subject department (PT subject and class teachers). Pupils with complex needs have individualised timetables coordinated by the PT ASN to allow maximum access to learning with their peers in mainstream, while ensuring that their learning and wellbeing needs are met. Curricular planning for those with complex needs is well structured with good tracking mechanisms. IEP’s are well structured with SMART targets and are reviewed twice a year. There is an annual planned programme of SFL reviews with relevant school staff as well as multiagency partners as appropriate for those with complex needs. The SFL department offer training to staff and pupils to raise awareness and understanding of specific difficulties such as Dyslexia. Arrangements for supporting pupils with ASN as they make choices into the senior phase could be improved as well as the range of choices available at National 3 and 4 level. The SFL/ASN and Transform departments have good connections with partner agencies e.g. home school link workers, locality wellbeing officer and the local community. Participation in local events and school trips are planned to be inclusive for pupils with additional Support Needs. Parent partnership is working well and planning for post school destinations for those with complex needs is very successful. 1.4 Curriculum Buckie High School is considering its Curriculum Rationale as the Authority looks to implementing a 33 period week. The Senior Leadership Team and Curriculum

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Group have been reviewing the curriculum as they are dissatisfied with the Broad General Education and how this progresses through to the Senior Phase. The Broad General Education is very subject based and needs to be more relevant whilst also preparing young people to make correct choices into the Senior Phase and chosen pathway on leaving school. At present there is no clear rationale for the curriculum but there is a working group in place using a ‘Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat’ analysis to create a rationale that also links with the aspirational values and views of the school. There is currently a flexible skills based Senior Phase so that young people in Buckie will leave school with work related skills as well as curricular skills and knowledge, depending on their chosen pathway and any gaps identified. Pupils have been involved in the creation of the school’s vision, values and aims and several Departments/CTs refer to these during lessons, reinforcing the school’s ethos and aspirations for pupils. During focus group discussions, pupils and parents commented on the vision and direction of the school, and their awareness of this. SLT have a clear and strategic vision for the school but unfortunately there will be significant impact on the delivery of the curriculum due to staffing shortages, limiting what can be offered. SLT are also aware of the lack of personalisation and choice. There are a significant number of promoted staff within the school and it would now be beneficial to further develop strategic leadership roles and responsibilities at Principal teacher/Class teacher level, in order to build capacity to drive forward improvement. A very positive start has been made to the DYW Agenda. This was evident at the ‘Career Ready’ S5 assembly which was led by pupils during the visit. Universal Pupil Support and Personal and Social Education is delivered by Guidance Staff and local employers are keen to be involved with and work alongside the school. The school have been proactive in engaging with business partners, providing young people the opportunity to explore the various pathways available to them. A range of events have been held to upskill young people but also to engage a number of business partners. These include a ‘Business Breakfast’ and a ‘Your Future in Food’ event. Buckie High School leads on IT and Creative Industries in the Moray Skills Pathways, and will continue to lead development in this area. The school is working hard to ensure that all staff take responsibility for developing career ready skills and are contributing to the developing young workforce agenda.

The Broad General Education Curriculum is currently linked to SALs from S1. Pupils are starting to track their own progress. A traffic light system is used by some CTs at the end of certain topics, helping to structure any feedback given to individual pupils and Learning Logs have been successfully used by some. Tracking is predominantly done via SEEMiS and the school is now looking to ensure this links effectively to ‘next steps’. The BGE PTGs analyse this data from SEEMiS every three months and a tracking report is also produced monthly for S1, S2 and S3 pupils. Senior Pupils have access to an online profile which they maintain and this also links with UPS. Parents of Senior Pupils are sent a tracking report every 6 weeks.

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Health and wellbeing planning processes are robust and the use of the Transform Base has been highly successful. There are also Learning Communities set up with a focus on methodologies and practices, as well as subject group meetings which feed back to SLT. The school proactive in seeking the views of parents with regards to the curriculum that is offered, although this is now proving to be increasingly difficult due to staffing constraints. Questionnaires are used to canvas the opinion of parents, issued at Parents’ Evening Meetings, but this only collates the views of those who attend. 1.5 Learning & Teaching During the visit to Buckie High School several classes and lessons were observed. The majority of classrooms were clean, tidy and well-presented and it was apparent that the majority of teachers had tried to create a high quality learning environment. Some classrooms made use of displays and all space to support learners in accessing and understanding information, as well as consistently reminding them of the aim and purpose of the lesson. The majority of teachers are using Learning Intentions and Success Criteria in the delivery of lessons but co-creation of these is still in it’s infancy with time constraints playing a factor. Teachers were observed as being confident in using digital technology in an effective and appropriate manner, to enhance the learners’ experience. In some subjects pupils were given the opportunity to also use the available technology to support their learning. While differentiation was evident this was more task driven rather than teacher led. Targeted interventions in support of individual learners should be considered. While there was some low level disruption observed in some classes but the majority of pupils engaged well in lessons and were confident in talking about their learning, particularly in lessons where the teacher had actively given the pupils ownership and active approaches to learning had been adopted. Based on feedback provided by the BGE focus group, and classroom observations, it would be useful for the school to now consider the pace and challenge of work set, particularly in S1. Some pupils commented on wanting ‘harder work’ and more involvement in lessons through active learner and engagement, rather than simply note taking. There is a Learning and Teaching Working Group at BHS and they should continue to use the Moray Learning and Teaching Strategy, and look to share the good practice that is taking place in order to further develop professional learning communities. Growth Mindset has been a focus of late with differentiation highlighted as an area of focus for next steps. Staff are working with young people in order to heighten awareness in terms of resilience and a can do attitude. This work should be continued and linked to learning conversations. Work on assessment and moderation is an ongoing journey. Some pupils are aware of the levels at which they are working within the Broad General Education but are not aware of what they need to do to improve. The school is at an early stage with regards to approaches to moderation, with much work to be done within the school and across the Associated Schools Group to raise awareness of standards and progression.

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1.6 School buildings Condition: standard B (2016) Suitability: standard C (2016) The majority of classrooms were neat and well presented. The SFF Team commented on the high standard of cleanliness within the school and the overall well maintained and tidy presentation of the school. The current Headteacher and his predecessors have used their budget effectively to ensure the school is well maintained. This includes a rolling programme of carpeting and painting. The school has a number of ‘add-on’ buildings, with the most recent being the Highfield Hall and classrooms. As a result the school now spans a large area and may benefit from a new build in the future. Staff and pupils alike speak highly of the janitorial staff who are quick to repair and fix any problems. Although only 6-7 years old, the boiler causes regular problems and these issues have resulted in school closure. The supply of gas and electricity to some Science classrooms has been condemned, which has cause operational problems. A fire risk assessment was completed in 2013/14 which resulted in a number of actions. School based ones have been completed whereas a number of outstanding points raised on a recent visit and are responsibility of the Local Authority. Although the school has been well cared for it is not a school for the 21st century. It is category D for safety/security with a CCTV upgrade and fire door replacements all delayed. 1.7 Pastoral Care Buckie High School is a very welcoming, positive school, with pupils firmly at the centre. Staff and pupils spoke highly of the strong working relationships that have been developed and this was also evident in the majority of classroom observations that took place during the visit. The school operates a vertical tutor system with pupils mixing well across ages. There is a comprehensive buddy and peer system in place so that progression to S1 is as smooth as possible. A pupil led transition programme was highly valued by all.

Pupils commented on the positive relationships they had with their teachers and the respect they had for the school. They were appreciative of teachers going the extra mile and being available to help them over lunchtime or after school. It was clear that the school had adopted a ‘child-centred’ inclusive approach which has helped build the positive ethos at Buckie High School. Pupils spoke highly of their guidance teachers and the support provided by other staff. Effective and successful multi-agency meetings are held on a regular basis to discuss in more detail young people who are at risk, or who would benefit from a range of support, due to specific barriers to learning. These meetings are led by a Depute with Principal Teacher(s) Guidance, the Wellbeing Manager, Additional Support Needs staff and Health colleagues present as well as others as required. These were seen as good practice and focussed on individuals who required flexible arrangements, or a more ‘team around the child’, approach. Wellbeing indicators were used well at meetings to ensure that risks were identified and plans in place.

1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate: 93.1% (Moray 92.5%)

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Violence / Aggression against staff: 5 incidents recorded involving 5 different individuals. There were 31 exclusion incidents involving 18 different pupils (2015/16) During the visit the young people were well mannered and spoke highly of their school. They were happy and keen to engage with visitors. There was some low level disruption evident in a small number of classes where the pace of learning was slow and teaching methods dated. All of the SFF Review Team were very impressed with the ‘Transform Base’ which was having a positive impact on the school and young people. 2. School roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast The School Roll in 2016 is 725. Since 2001 roll decreased by 197 (from 922) Forecasted roll: 2020 – 837 Estimated increase by 112 pupils over next 5 years. 2.2 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 3 years: 2013/14: 1, 2014/15: 3, 2015/16: 3, 2016/17 : 2 inward placing requests 2.3 Outward placing requests 2016-17: 6 outward placing requests. 2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity 2016 School Roll: 725 (S1-S6) S1 – 159, S2 – 122, S3 – 135, S4 – 117, S5 – 119, S6 – 73 2.5 Class composition

N/A 2.6 Number of teachers 58.17 FTE – 66 Staff. Includes 33.5 teachers, 20.6 Principal teachers, 3 Depute Headteachers and 1 Headteacher. Staffing continues to be a problem at Buckie High School. This is impacting negatively on the curriculum on offer to pupils, as well as the professional development of staff who cannot attend meetings or events due to no class cover being available. 2.7 School roll 2016 School Roll: 725 2.9 Maximum Capacity 2016 – School Roll – 725/ Physical Capacity 944 = 77%

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3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil in 2016/17 was £3,843 3.2 Financial trends School devolved budget (including carry forward) for 2016-17 had a -1.30% overspend 3.3 Financial plans N/A Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criteria 1-3 Buckie High School is a sustainable school. The roll and enrolment forecasts indicate the school will remain above the minimum roll threshold for a secondary school. There is therefore no need to evaluate criteria 4-6 at this time. Recommendations

• It is recommended that Buckie High be considered for a new build in the future with thought given to a possible joint campus with a new-build Cluny Primary school contained therein to allow for nursery provision and a family/community hub to access all services in the Buckie area.

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Strengths

• Very positive ethos. Young people speak about feeling respected and

nurtured. Almost all relationships are positive. • There is a child-centred, inclusive approach which promotes individual

achievement and there is a strong sense of community within the school, including partnership working.

• There is a clear, supportive process for teaching staff to access professional development and share good practice, linked to school improvement.

• There are robust Health and Wellbeing planning processes which benefit the whole community.

• The Senior Phase pupils have a clear awareness of pathways and take appropriate responsibility and ownership of these.

• There is an improving trend with regards to attainment and wider, accredited achievement.

• The SLT have created a clear and strategic vision and environment for improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Develop further strategic leadership roles and responsibilities at PT/CT level, in order to build capacity and drive forward improvement.

• Continue to develop your rationale for both the BGE and Senior Phase, using your Vision, Values and Aims to ensure relevance, cohesion and progression.

• The Learning and Teaching Working Group should lead all staff in looking at all aspects of the Moray Learning and Teaching Strategy to develop depth and a shared understanding of expectations.

• Continue to review pupil and parent voice and strategies to engage them in learning

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Appendix 2

Cluny Primary

1 Quality Educational Experience 1.1 Attainment Overall children make individual progress in their learning across the school. PIPs scores indicate that value had been added over session 2015/16 in reading although there had been a decline in the previous two years. The end scores in 2015/16 were above the Moray average. There is the same pattern in Maths in maths with the exit scores in 2015/16 being well above the Moray average. In maths from primary 3-6 attainment is average and below the Moray average. P3 InCas scores in reading have been above the Moray average since 2013/14. However in mental arithmetic they have been below the Moray average in all years except 2015/16 and in general maths below except in 2014/15. By Primary 6 reading scores have been in line with Moray average in 2013-14 and well above since then showing an upward trend. In mental arithmetic scores were well below the Moray average in 2013/14 but have then improved annually to be currently above the Moray average. General maths shows a more variable picture with scores below the Moray average across the last three years and varying year on year. Using data to identify areas of development, the school has worked on mental strategies and has reviewed the weighting of time in timetables to ensure that maths/numeracy is given additional teaching time. Staff have worked together to ensure that I can statements are rewritten and that the school journey of progression is clear rather than being driven by resource. As a result staff have a clearer understanding of developing maths/literacy skills. Children’s progress is tracked across the school using data available including PIPs and Incas. Those children who receive additional support are also tracked in order to evidence intervention and progress. There are regular pupil progress meetings with senior management and teachers. 1.2 Wider school activities The school regularly celebrates success in a number of ways and particularly through the up-to-date photographs showcased around the school. Children are proud of their wider achievement wall as well as golden folders and have a great awareness of their success and those of others. They are encouraged to share achievements outwith school including music exam success, sporting tournaments, swimming, Boys’ Brigade and Brownies to name a few. Children are aware of the skills they are developing through success in these areas. Some children in P7 are prefects and have responsibilities within the school including running parent appointment sessions, collecting points and being classroom monitors. The school takes a very active part in the community fundraising for the Lifeboat and other charities. Annually the school enters a team for the Rotary Quiz and they were proud winners of the Library Quiz having qualified as the Buckie ASG

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representatives. Children can become Young Rotarians which is linked to Rights Respecting Schools initiative. They help to present assemblies sharing their knowledge of children’s rights whilst helping to develop that of their peers. They recently shared the message of keeping safe online as part of UNICEF Safer Internet Day. As well as being in this group, they also organised fundraising activities to develop awareness of various charities including MacMillan, LEPRA and Children in Need. Children and parents are much clearer on how these are achieved and there is great pride in becoming a Champion who follows their class and the school golden charter which are linked to the Rights of the Child. Charter Champion success is celebrated at an afternoon tea with parents. There are many clubs including, sports, cross-country and running and these change annually depending on the interests of the children. 1.3 ASN provision Forty three pupils were registered with additional support needs on Seemis equating to 13% of the school roll, very much below the Moray primary school average. Currently there is limited partnership working; Head Teacher is the first line for communication with partners which is usually done through Solution Oriented and Child’s Planning meetings. A form is submitted by class teachers to Head Teacher when an additional need is identified. ASfL teachers and Head Teacher meet as appropriate to consider these and plan interventions; ASfL teacher timetable is flexible to meet need and is reviewed termly. INCAS data and spelling tests are used to supplement class teacher information; a holistic view is taken of each child. Whole school tracking and monitoring processes are used, carried out by class teacher and Head Teacher, along with IEP reviews which are held three times a year. IEP targets are identified in discussion between ASfL teacher, class teacher and pupil. Parents attend an IEP review meeting where they are invited to make comments before IEP is finalised. Pupil ASN files are well organised and complete; there are clear chronologies kept. BSP, PLP, RA sit with Head Teacher who needs to share responsibility for these plans with other teachers or DHT. ASfL teachers focus mainly on academic interventions with Head Teacher focussing on social, emotional, behavioural needs; this should not be the responsibility of her alone. Staged intervention is reported as being known by all teachers. ICT is used for learning along with an elaborated curriculum, which needs to be further developed, including baking, horse riding and leadership, for a very small number of pupils. ASfL teacher supports individuals and groups both in and out of class with literacy and numeracy. Better use needs to be made of grouping children for learning. There is work to be done with all pupils in relation to diversity and equality; work is done termly about SHANARRI through a structured health curriculum. There is reluctance from some pupils to take on new challenges and staff find this difficult to work around. Support staff are deployed by Head Teacher but this is weighted towards supporting behaviour needs rather than learning needs; staff can be removed from the class at short notice; PSA are committed to the pupils and take their responsibilities seriously. The school does not have the resources to be able to meet the most severe and complex needs.

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1.4 Curriculum The school has a clear rationale for the curriculum which is understood by all. All staff were aware that the demographics of the school had changed with learned helplessness and a lack of resilience being evident. As a result the school values have been revised to respect, responsibility and resilience. These are well known and referred to constantly in order to achieve the vision that every child matters. Cluny Primary strives hard to maintain the desire to be nurturing, promoting health, happiness and ambition for learning. Children from P1-P7 are involved in a Learning Council and were meeting to discuss writing by sharing what they had been learning and why. This has enabled children to understand progression in learning, how they transfer learning across the curriculum as well as learning about different genres they will explore. There are transition arrangements for children coming into P1 and for those leaving P7 including enhanced arrangements for those children with additional support needs. Yearly transition from class to class is routine and seamless ensuring progression in learning. The school has clear progressions for all curricular areas. Staff are very strong in terms of literacy hence why Staff take responsibility for ensuring that contextualised learning is almost always appropriate for example at the middle stages staff have worked with Coastal schools to explore outdoor learning opportunities in the local area. Most recently children in P6 and P7 worked with Scottish Opera and shared their learning with parents. The school engages the help of parents and the community to enhance the curriculum and provide examples of relevance. This is a very collegiate school where staff welcome opportunities to work together to develop a shared understanding of progression across curricular areas. They regularly revisit the curriculum and identify school improvement priorities to improve it. Parents understand the curriculum on offer through class newsletters, leaflets, website and curriculum meetings led by children. The school is working more with dads to engage them in their child’s journey. 1.5 Learning & Teaching Across the school children were polite, well behaved and were very respectful of each other and happy to engage with unknown adults. Routines were evident in all aspects of school life and children were very aware of positive behaviour strategies. Classrooms are bright and stimulating learning environments which are well resourced with wall displays to assist children in their learning. In a few classes, the rooms are very ‘busy’ which may not suit all children’s learning styles. Children are encouraged to have a Growth Mindset and see mistakes as learning opportunities. Learning intentions and success criteria were routinely shared with children. However, staff would benefit from going back to the Experiences and Outcomes to ensure that they are of high quality. They should also involve children more in helping to create the success criteria particularly to aid differentiation and target setting. There were examples of very good practice which should be shared routinely. Children were motivated and were able to talk about their tasks and activities. There was evidence of good practice where support staff were supporting small groups of children or individuals. Due to the very positive relationships in school, praise was natural and children welcomed this. There was evidence of children working alone, with a partner and in groups. During the visit there were occasions where children were self and peer assessing. Staff have been working on

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providing learners with effective feedback including plenary sessions and engaging them in learning conversations so that they can reflect and improve. At times, the pace of learning was too slow and staff should consider this particularly for those children who are able to move on in their learning. Children have lots of jotters/worksheets for different areas of the curriculum with some only part used. Consideration should be given to revisiting this strategy. Stage partners plan learning together and teachers have moderated finished pieces of work in order to have a common understanding of levels. This is welcomed although plans to develop assessment and moderation approaches should be continued, making use of the expertise of Quality Assurance and Moderation Officers in the school in order to work collegiately to plan learning and assessment. Parents are encouraged to be fully involved in learnings. Each term class newsletters outline the learning focus for the term to facilitate learning conversations at home. Information about learning is also shared on the school’s website and through twitter as well as formal learning appointments and the annual report. Parents are also invited to open afternoons and events throughout the year. Interactive whiteboards were in use in all classes although there were not many examples of digital technology to enhance learning during the visit. Staff meet regularly with senior management to discuss children’s progress. They should now consider making connections within and outwith the ASG to ensure that there is a consistent understanding of standards. 1.6 School buildings Condition: standard C (2016) Suitability: standard B (2016) The school is bright and welcoming and the Headteacher has used her budget well to ensure that re-carpeting, painting and replacement of window blinds has been ongoing. However the windows are draughty and there are two classrooms used when more than 12 classes are formed, that are not positive learning environments due to shape and pillars in the centre of the rooms. The staffroom is very small considering the size of the school staff and is not large enough to cater for all. The canteen is housed in a separate building within the school grounds. Some corridors and classrooms are quite cluttered with displays, decoration across ceilings and consideration should be given to possible fire risks. 1.7 Pastoral Care There was a very nurturing and caring ethos in the school fitting with the school’s vision and values. Support staff in particular believe that it is nurture first then learning can happen. Staff work hard to help pupils overcome any barriers to learning. All pupils are part of the Cluny family whilst it is also recognised that individually they are unique. The children reported that they love the school, feel safe and think that pupils are treated fairly. They feel that the school wants the best for them and that they should try to do their best. The school has a positive behaviour strategy, reviewed by the Parent Council and resulting in Charter Champions. There are now Charter Champions as well as Gold, Silver and Bronze Star Learners. Class positive behaviour is also recognised through HERO points for being hard-working, enthusiastic, respectful and organised. The class with the most points at the end of term gains a healthy reward. Primary one pupils have buddies in P7 who they

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meet during transition and then build the relationships during the course of P1. Primary 6 children are trained as playground friends to ensure that children have someone to look out for them if they are alone or upset in the playground. This was evident during the visit. The school is working with Active Schools to explore a range of playground games in order to make playtime and lunchtime more productive for children. 1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate: 95.5% as opposed to Moray average across Primary of 95.38%. Violence and aggression towards staff: 7 incidents involving 2 pupils Exclusions – 9 exclusions, involving 3 pupils Very high standards of behaviour were evident in classes and in corridors and play areas during the visit. Pupils moved around the building calmly and were very polite to visitors. 2. School roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast The School Roll in 2016 is 332 pupils. This has decreased by 9 from 2001. The school roll is forecast to decrease to by 15 in 2020 although there are housing developments within the catchment. 2.2 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 3 years: 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0. 2015-16: no placing request. 2.3 Outward placing requests 2015-16: no outward placing requests. 2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity 2016 School Roll – 332 / Functional Capacity 378 = 88% 2.5 Class composition 2016 – 13 classes: 8 single stage and 5 composite classes (Classes: Composite – P2/3, P3/4, P4/5, P5/6 and P6/7) 2.6 Number of teachers 2016 – 16.6 FTE (19 staff) (14.6 teachers, 1 Depute Head Teacher, 1 Head Teacher) 2.7 School roll 2016 School Roll: 332 (74%% of physical capacity)

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3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil is £2,700 which is the lowest across primary schools within the ASG. 3.2 Financial trends The school had an underspend of £51,103 which was 6.74% of the annual budget. 3.3 Financial plans The Headteacher uses her budget well to support school improvements. Although entitled to a second Depute, she has chosen to make the existing Depute non-class committed. Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criterion 1, provides a good quality of educational experience. The school falls within the roll and financial thresholds in criteria 2 and 3 therefore criteria 4-6 have not been been considered. On this basis it is deemed that the school is sustainable. Recommendations

• Should Buckie High be considered for a new build, consideration should be given to considering a replacement Cluny Primary within a 3-18 campus. Nursery provision should also be looked into as well as a family/community hub.

Strengths • The clear rationale for the curriculum and shared understanding of the school’s

vision and values by children, parents and staff • The welcoming, positive ethos in the school where children and adults have very

respectful relationships and there is a pride in the school • The polite, well-behaved and motivated pupils who relish opportunities to share

the Cluny experience with others • The strong leadership of the Headteacher, supported by the Depute Headteacher

and their presence across the school community • A very committed staff who support each other very well as a team and work hard

to provide a broad range of learning experiences • The positive relationships with parents who are keen to be more involved in their

children’s learning

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Areas for continued development • Continue with plans to develop assessment and moderation approaches,

including quality feedback to learners • Continue to develop staff’s understanding of quality learning intentions and

success criteria with reference to the Experiences and Outcomes and real-life contexts

• Develop staff confidence to take on leadership roles across the school • Continue to engage parents in reporting and supporting children’s learning

consistently across the school • Ensure that the pace of learning is appropriate in all classes to meet the needs of

all learners

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Appendix 3

Cullen Primary

1. Quality Educational Experience 1.1 Attainment In all 3 academic sessions measured, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, children’s scores at p1 PIPIS reading entry testing, were all marginally above the Moray average. At PIPS exit tests at the conclusion of p1, results show a value above the Moray average in 2013-14. In the remaining 2 academic sessions, 2014-15 and 2015-16 the exit scores were below the Moray average. For Maths PIPS entry testing all years measured provided results sitting above the Moray average, other than 2013-14, which was marginally below. At PIPS exit testing in the same curricular area, the results produced in 2013-14 were above the Moray average and in 2014-15 and 2015-16 results were below. P3 Incas testing provides results for 4 academic sessions, from 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. From the period 2013-14, 2014-15 to 2015-16, there is an upwards trajectory in terms of reading results. The first of these two sessions are below the Moray average, with those in 2014-16 sitting above. These results dip in 2016-17, to sit slightly below the Moray average. In mental arithmetic, there is a slightly more variable picture with results in 2013-14 and 2014-15 being below average, in 2014-15 above average and in 2016-17 being exactly in line with the Moray average. In general maths, the variable trend continues with results in 2013-14 and 2015-16 being marginally above the Moray average and those in 2014-15 and 2015-17 slightly below. In p6 results are measured over a period of 3 years from 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. The INCAS p6 reading results at 2013-14 and 2015-16 are above the Moray average and in 2014-15 they are below. In mental arithmetic results in 2013-14 and 2015-16 are above average and below in 2014-2015. A similar picture exists in terms of the general maths results, with results in 2013-14 and 2015-16 above the Moray average and in 2014-15 results sitting below. There are regular tracking meetings held between the Class Teacher and the Head Teacher. In these meetings a discussion on pupil progress takes place in order to highlight pupils who are on track to achieve and those who require either additional challenge, or, support. Targets are set during these meetings which allow for monitoring of progress. The Head Teacher and staff can discuss standardised assessment results and how these correlate with achievement of a level. To compliment this knowledge and understanding, staff engage with the benchmarks created by Education Scotland to facilitate Teacher Professional Judgment in relation to achievement. Supplementing this interaction with the benchmarks, staff have been working with the other ASG primary schools and the associated secondary school, Buckie High, to develop Teacher Professional Judgment. This development work was initiated in literacy and will expand to include elements of numeracy. The school should continue to extend this development and explore options both within and out with school to support. Maths setting exists within the school and there is a focus on ensuring that differentiation is levelled correctly in

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order to support and challenge pupils appropriately. The school is reviewing tracking of achievement in Health & Wellbeing to ensure that all aspects of this curricular area are tracked effectively. Work is also being carried out on the Listening and Talking progression to ensure a robust and consistent approach is taken to assessing and tracking. Similarly, consideration is being directed towards ensuring that a skills progression associated with Developing the Young Workforce is cohesively used and tracked throughout the school. 1.2 Wider school activities The school’s values are ‘Trust, Respect, Honesty, Integrity and Responsibility’. These values are alive within the school in terms of the positive approach to behaviour management and the way in which achievement is recognised. There is a whole school approach to behaviour management and recognition of success through a variety of awards, including the Head Teachers award. Pupils are encouraged to take leadership within the school through a variety of pupil voice groups. Future developments in this area are aimed at ensuring that the work of these groups incorporates the Rights Respecting agenda, as well as aiming to ensure that the groups input into wider school improvements in a progressive way. Wider achievement is recognised within the school and pupils are encouraged to share and celebrate each other’s success. Strong links are made within the local community to support learning and provide a relevant context. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in a range of after school clubs and interschool activities and events. 1.3 ASN provision 11 pupils were registered with additional support needs on Seemis equating to 9.6% of the school roll, very much below the Moray primary school average. The school works with the staged intervention model with an appropriate range of multi-agency meetings to plan and review pupil progress. There are positive links with Educational Psychology, Speech & Language Therapy, Children 1st and Occupational Therapy services. There is a systematic approach to tracking and monitoring, including the use of data, which highlights learners who need potential interventions. There is clear dialogue between class teachers and ASN staff about appropriate interventions/strategies and support plans, including flexible and individualised curricula eg cooking, life skills, maths and literacy groups. Parents are involved in drawing up and reviewing comprehensive IEP targets through regular, 3 times a year, review meetings. Pupils recognise their strengths and set targets. Parents report positive working relationships as partners in their child’s learning and are confident that there is regular, two way communication. There are pupil profiles in existence within each class and achievement is recognised in a range of ways; pupils with ASN are fully included in their class and school. GIRFEC and school values are embedded across the school; early intervention is central to working and productive links exist with the local community. The staff are a highly skilled, trained team who share their knowledge of pupils and are encouraged to make suggestions.

The school does not have resources to be able to meet the most severe and complex needs.

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1.4 Curriculum The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum which takes its direction from the Vision and Values, pupil’s needs and the local community. Pupils are offered a variety of learning opportunities which focus on the local context and make use of local knowledge and expertise. This programme includes a range of outdoor learning opportunities. The school regularly reviews its curriculum to take account of emerging need and includes all partners in this process. There is a clear rationale for areas which are taught discretely and how Interdisciplinary Learning is used to reinforce, add depth and allow pupils to apply the skills, knowledge and understanding which they are developing. The use of Higher Order Thinking skills, Critical Thinking and collaborative learning supports curriculum delivery in order to develop pupil ownership and independence. As a team, the school has identified future development priorities aimed at ensuring a clear and robust skills progression linking to the Developing the Young Workforce is in place. The school will also look to developing the Rights Respecting Agenda within its curriculum in a way that is harmonious with other priorities and methods of learning. 1.5 Learning & Teaching A wide variety of learning & teaching approaches were observed. Learning was active and children appeared confident and relaxed in their classroom context. The teaching and learning reflects school values. Learning Intentions and Success Criteria were used for all observed lessons and were purposefully and clearly linked. Pupils understand the learning intentions and success criteria and are often involved in the co-creation of success criteria. Any instances of moving off task were addressed timeously and appropriately. Plenaries were observed in all lessons and were linked to Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. Feedback was generally individual, included next steps and encouraged independent learning. There were good learning discussions between learners and between learners and adults. Adults used questioning effectively to support independent pupil learning and in the best examples of practice, to illicit higher order thinking. Pupils are able to self and peer assess effectively and can discuss where they are in their learning and how effectively they have learned. The use of I.C.T was evident in terms of supporting learning. This should continue to be developed with a focus on extending learning and developing new and innovative methods of engaging with higher order thinking. 1.6 School buildings Condition: standard C (2016) Suitability: standard B (2016) The school Building is well maintained. The school has a concreted car parking facility at the front of the building and a grassed area surrounding the remainder of the building which pupils can use for play. There is a large hall which doubles as a P.E. hall and eating area to the rear of the building. At the front entrance there is a reception area and the Head Teachers Office. Classrooms sit within the corridor areas which span the corridors from the front reception to the rear hall. Classrooms are bright and well maintained. There is a room which is used as a General Purpose’s area with an integrated sink / kitchen area. 1.7 Pastoral Care There is a very strong community atmosphere within the school and positive relationships between pupils, staff and the community. Children are respected, feel

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happy, safe, and secure and are encouraged to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. They speak highly of staff and are confident that their views and opinions are taken into consideration both within learning and within school improvements. Pupils enjoy learning and speak positively about the level of challenge and support that they receive. Pupils enjoy being on the Pupil Groups and feel that their opinions are taken into consideration. Pupils are aware that high expectations of behaviour and effort exist within the school. They appreciate the wide variety of curricular and extra-curricular activities that are available. Parents speak very positively about home–school communication and appreciate the class blog which provides pictures and comments about pupil progress, as well as the weekly newsletter from the Head Teacher. There is recognition amongst the school community of the way in which positive behaviour is recognised and celebrated. 1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate: 95.8% as opposed to Moray average across Primary of 95.4%. Violence and aggression towards staff: 5 incidents involving 3 different pupils (2015/16) Exclusions – no exclusions (2015/16) Very good standards of behaviour were evident in classes and in corridors and play areas during the visit. 2. School roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast The School Roll in 2016 is 115 pupils. The roll has decreased by 18 from 2001 (133). The school roll is forecast to increase by 1 in 2020 to 116. The current functional capacity is 180, currently operating at 64%. 2.2 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 3 years: 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0. 2015-16: no placing request. 2.3 Outward placing requests 2015-16: no outward placing requests. 2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity 2016 School Roll - 115 / Functional Capacity 180 = 64% 2.5 Class composition 2016 – 5 classes: 1 single stage and 4 composite classes

(Classes: Composite – P1/2, p2,3, p5/6 & p6/7)

2.6 Number of teachers 2016 – 7 FTE (7 staff) (6 teachers, 1 Head Teacher) 2.7 School roll 2016 School Roll: 115 (57% of physical capacity of 201)

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3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil in 2016/17 was £3,233. 3.2 Financial trends At the end of 2015/16 there was an underspend of 1.74%. 3.3 Financial plans The Head Teacher uses her budget to support the development of the curriculum and providing staffing support to meet all learning needs. Staff wellbeing and development 4.1 Availability of teachers The school is fully staffed, including an NQT 4.2 Head teacher relief time The Head Teacher has a part time teaching commitment. 4.3 Leadership capacity Staff are keen to develop their own professional skill set and to impact positively on school developments. Staff, including support staff, assume leadership responsibilities for groups and activities. Teachers plan collegiately and this should continue to be encouraged. Pupils benefit from leadership opportunities in terms of leading and being part of action groups and being ambassadors for the school. Pupils are also empowered to take leadership in learning by setting personal targets, as well as, planning and assessing their learning. Parents are encouraged to support learning through regular updates in terms of learning taking place. This happens through reporting on individual pupil progress, events to which parents are invited and regular Head Teacher newsletters. The community are also encouraged and supported to take an active leadership role within the school through the use of community expertise to develop and extend learning. 4.4 Staff development and leadership of improvement and change Self-evaluation and reflection is carried out at regular intervals. Within this process, evaluation of standardised data, as well as the capture of people’s opinion’s and direct observation are gathered to support change. 5. Accessibility 5.1 Home to school travel time The closest school to Cullen, is Portknockie which lies within 3 miles of Cullen Primary.

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5.2 Distance to another suitable school There are 5 primary schools within the ASG schools group as well as a denominational school. These schools fall within 7 miles of Cullen primary. The secondary school for this ASG is Buckie High school. 5.3 Co-operative arrangements The staffs in Cullen primary have taken part in literacy moderation activities within the ASG which involve the associated secondary school, Buckie High. 6. Strong links with the community 6.1 Parents’ views Parents are very supportive of the school and have positive views. They are asked for their opinions through questionnaires, informal contacts such as drop-in sessions as well as school events. 6.2 Degree and quality of parental involvement Parents make contributions to the work and life of the school. The Parent Council contributes to a variety of school activities and improvement’s. 6.3 Contribution of the school to the community The school has very good links with the community and interacts with a number of local groups to support learning. The local community is used as a focus for developing and supporting the curriculum. 6.4 Other provision (e.g. nursery) The school runs a morning and afternoon nursery. There are 40 pupils in both sessions. 6.6 Capacity in nearest schools (Buckie ASG schools only) Portessie 49%,Findochty 30%; Portknockie 35% and Cluny 74%, Millbank 49%, Cullen 64% physical capacities. Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criterion 1 Cullen provides a sound quality of educational experience. The school falls outwith the roll and financial thresholds in criteria 2 and 3 therefore criteria 4-6 have been considered. There are no concerns regarding susatainability of Cullen. Recommendations

• Due to the position and situation of Cullen Primary School and all of the evidence in this report, it is deemed that Cullen Primary School is sustainable. However, if the Buckie ASG primary school estate were to be investigated in detail then consideration could be given to reconfiguration of some description.

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Strengths

• The ownership that the pupils have within the school in terms of its ethos, high aspirations and collective responsibility.

• The ongoing review and response to the curriculum to ensure that it meets all needs.

• The established connections and relationships with all key partners including parents and community and the impact this has on pupils experiences

• The approach to learning, teaching and assessment which embraces Assessment is for Learning and makes learning visible

Areas for continued development

• Continue to develop the curriculum to take account of the Developing the Young Workforce and Rights Respecting agenda

• Continue to ensure that learning and teaching approaches support delivery of the curriculum incorporating Critical Thinking and Higher Order Thinking Skills

• Continue with the tracking and monitoring approaches and audit in light of authority guidance

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Appendix 4

Findochty Primary School

1. Quality Educational Experience. 1.1 Attainment

The school tracks the progress of pupils over time through the PIPs and INCAS standardised assessments. The head teacher meets with the class teacher to discuss and identify next steps for learners each term and learning conversations take place with pupils. The school have identified that more involvement from all parents would be beneficial to the learners. PIPS data shows that in the years 2013/14 and 2014/15 there has been negative value added to P1 average reading scores. There was an increase in value added in average reading scores in 2015/16 however, this was still below the Moray average. The average entry scores for reading have slightly declined year on year from 2013 to 2016 for children from nurseries, although this remains slightly above the Moray average. The school has successfully bid for financial support from the Innovation Fund to support early intervention in the school nursery to remove barriers to Literacy for pre-schoolers. It is too early to measure the impact of this intervention. Analysis of the PIPS data for Maths shows a slight decline in average entry scores from 2013 - 2016, however they remain above the Moray average. The PIPS average exit scores show negative average value added from 2013-2016, although this is less in 2015/16. P3 INCAS reading data shows a steady increase in the average scores for reading bringing the school above the average score in Moray. Mental Arithmetic shows a decrease from 2013/14 to 2014/15 but an increase in 2015/16. There is a decrease in the average scores in 2016/17, however the score remains above the Moray average. There is a similar picture for the average General Maths scores over the same period. P6 INCAS data shows a decrease in average scores between 2013/14 and 2015/16 with a slight increase in 2015/16. The scores have remained above the Moray average through this period. The average Mental Arithmetic scores show a similar pattern over the period but remain above the Moray average. The general Maths scores show a decrease in average scores between 2013/14 and 2014/15 but an increase in 2015/16 which has brought the school above the Moray average. The school should evaluate the early intervention initiative for removing Literacy barriers to establish if this has impacted upon the PIPs entry and exit scores and would benefit from identifying the reason for the negative value added scores in Reading and Maths in P1. The school should also investigate the decrease in Mental Arithmetic and General Maths shown in the P3 INCAS data and the inconsistency of improvements shown in the P6 INCAS data. Staff would benefit from tracking pupil progress through the benchmarks to continue to familiarise themselves with the progression

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frameworks in order to have a common understanding of the standards expected.

1.2 Wider School activities The school is very involved in the community with strong community links. There is strong support from parents and the community. Parents appreciate the support of the school staff in community events. The school provides a broad range of opportunities for wider achievement and ensures that all children have an opportunity to achieve. Older pupils provide ‘Buddies’ for younger pupils and are elected as House Captains by the pupils providing opportunities for leadership and taking responsibility within the school. Out of school activities are underpinned by specific skills and relate to the World of Work to provide relevant contexts for skill development. After school clubs such as gymnastics were popular with pupils and parents as well as initiatives such as the kitchen club. Pupils benefit from an annual residential trip. Opportunities within the school to develop leadership skills, for example in assembly and the library, are utilised. 1.3 ASN Provision 11 pupils were registered with additional support needs on Seemis equating to 21.2% of the school roll, very slightly below the Moray primary school average. The school works with the ASN staged intervention model to identify next steps and when to open a Child’s Plan as well as engaging with other agencies in order to best support the needs of individual children. Class teachers engage in dialogue with SfL teacher to discuss assessment and suitable support strategies/interventions. Early intervention is a focus with learning needs being met using a range of activities and strategies including group work, ICT and withdrawal from class. Good use is made of small rooms to allow children a safe and quiet space. A holistic view is taken of pupils’ wider world and pupils report that staff know them well, understand them and are trusted by pupils. Pupils request to work with SfL within the school ethos of doing your best and reaching your potential. Pupils are able to speak about their learning which they view as being fun. There is a clear focus on and understanding of GIRFEC and the wellbeing indicators. There are smallgroups removed from class to work with SfL teacher on a particular area – eg numeracy. IEPs are regularly reviewed - pupil, class teacher and parents are involved in review and writing of targets. In addition to IEP reviews, parents’ evenings are used to consider progress of pupils with ASN. Data and professional conversations are used to identify gaps and to set targets after learning conversations with pupils. There is a paper based system for tracking progress which is kept in a folder in each classroom which also includes pupil profiles. This is regularly discussed and evidence updated. PSA are clear about work they are expected to do with children. They are deployed on a rota across the school. The school does not have the resources to be able to meet the most severe and complex needs. 1.4 Curriculum The school provides a broad curriculum with a strong emphasis on Health and Wellbeing. The curriculum rationale is based on the 3 Rs - Respect, Responsibility and Role model. Initiatives such as the Kitchen Club provide opportunities to develop social skills and provide a nurturing environment thereby contributing to closing the

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gap. There is evidence of staff planning collaboratively and taking into account pupils’ prior knowledge, however there is an over reliance on worksheets and text books. As identified by the school the planning and the integration of progressions and benchmarks in the planning and assessment cycle should continue to be developed. Reading progressions are being developed by the school and Maths has been broken down into the benchmarks. Literacy is covered on a daily basis, however from the evidence gathered Maths is only taught discreetly three days a week. The school should re-visit the rationale for this in light of the PIPS and INCAS data. Interdisciplinary learning experiences are planned by staff ‘bundling’ Es&Os and provide pupils with an interesting, broad range of experiences. Some of these are set in relevant contexts and provide opportunities for engagement with the local community. This could be extended so that the wider learning opportunities within IDL experiences are more relevant and fully reflect the local context, with the learning opportunities made explicit to pupils to ensure progression of learning and clarity for staff of the opportunities available for learning within the experience. Staff should continue to closely monitor those children who are not ready to move on whilst still stretching those who are. In order to ensure that there is greater pace in learning, staff should use the benchmarks to establish a shared understanding of expectations at each level. 1.5 Learning & Teaching Across the school children were polite, well behaved and were very respectful of each other and happy to engage with unknown adults. Routines are evident in all aspects of school life and children are very aware of positive behaviour strategies and any consequences. Classrooms are bright and stimulating learning environments which are well resourced with wall displays to assist children in their learning. Positive engagement between staff and children was evident in all classes. Classrooms and corridors were bright and well-presented containing a range of pupils work. Most classrooms were well organised with opportunities for active learning. Children were happy and confident, and able to talk about their tasks and activities. In a few classes they were able to talk about their learning however the language of learning is not consistent throughout the school and should be reinforced. In the majority of classes there were clear explanations and instructions. Staff used prior knowledge of learning to inform their teaching, however, many concepts were taught to the whole class with activities not meeting the needs of all learners. Learning intentions and success criteria were not routinely shared with learners during the visit although some children were able to say what they were learning and the skills involved. Although there was evidence in some classes of formative assessment practices being used, staff would benefit from revisiting this so that there is clarity on how they are being used to aid and progress the learning. There was evidence of children working alone, with a partner and in groups with the majority of learners engaged in the activities. There was little evidence of pupils being involved in assessing their own work or that of others and few were able to identify their next steps. 1.6 School Buildings Condition: Standard Minimum C Suitability: Minimum standard C

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Corridors and classrooms had attractive displays. All were well maintained and resources were well organised and clearly labelled. 1.7 Pastoral Care There was a calm and welcoming atmosphere across the school. All children were engaged and actively involved in the running of their school and happy to interact with visitors. Staff appeared relaxed and friendly and parents felt that they went above and beyond to meet the needs of the pupils. Pupils appeared proud of their school and thought it was a good place to come and learn. Pastoral care in the school is very strong. There is a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing within a positive, nurturing environment. Parents and pupils stated that the children enjoyed school and felt safe and secure. Parents also felt that the school was very responsive to the individual needs of children. Parents felt that the school supported pupils and parents very well. Health and Wellbeing is planned using SHANARRI indicators and the children were aware of these and demonstrated a basic knowledge and understanding of what they were. Parents were able to discuss the indicators and felt they were embedded in the school. Parents felt there was a strong partnership with the school and enjoyed the opportunities to attend celebration events such as the school assemblies. They felt that communication from the school was strong and there was a range of avenues through which the school kept parents up to date, such as newsletters, Facebook and open days. 1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate:93.7%. The attendance rate overall in Moray primary schools was 95.38%. Authorised Absences – 2.4% (Moray – 3.7%) Unauthorised Absences – 2.09% (Moray – 1%) Violence / Aggression against staff: 1 incident recorded (2015/16) Exclusions: 6 exclusion incidents involving 3 different pupils (2015/16) High standards of behaviour were evident in classes and in corridors and play areas. Pupils moved around calmly and demonstrated respect for the school and others. Both parents and pupils felt they could approach any member of staff should they have concerns and parents had confidence in the school dealing with any misbehaviour that may occur. Assemblies reinforce the values of the school and are supported by the positive behaviour strategies applied consistently by staff. Pupils and staff are proud of the school. 2 School Roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast The School Roll in 2016 is 52. This is a decrease of 51 pupils since 2001. The roll forecast for 2020 is 57, an increase of 5. 2.2 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 3 years: 2013:0, 2014: 3, 2015:4 , 2016:7 2.3 Outward placing requests 2014: 3, 2015:4 , 2016:7

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2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity The current functional capacity is 173, with the school roll at 52 they are operating at 30% capacity. 2.5 Class composition 2016 – 3 composite classes: P1/2, P3/4, P 5/6/7 2.6 Teachers 2016 – 3.46 Teachers FTE – (4 staff). Includes 2.4 Teachers &1 Head Teacher. 2.9 Maximum Capacity The physical capacity is 196 = 27% 3 Financial position 3.1 Budget running costs The cost per pupil in 2016/17 was £5000. This is the highest cost per pupil across the Buckie ASG. 3.2 Financial trends At the end of 2015/16 there was an underspend of 9.6%. 3.3 Financial plans 4 Staff Wellbeing and development 4.1 Availability of Teachers The school is fully staffed. The HT is very appreciative of how flexible staff are and their support of the school. 4.2 Head teacher relief time There are 2 days of Head Teacher relief time.

4.3 Leadership capacity Both parents and staff identified the leadership of the school as a strength and felt that the Head Teacher was very approachable. The Head Teacher uses self-evaluation effectively to identify the strengths of the school and areas for development which are shared with parents through the PSG. 4.4 Staff development and leadership of improvement and change The staff are very committed and work well together as a team. They are supportive of each other undertake joint planning meetings which supports the moderation within the school. Staff feel valued and consulted regarding school developments and feel they complement each other in respect of their strengths. The school improvement plan is created collegiately with staff and pupils, with elements of the improvement plan being taken forward through all staff members taking on individual responsibility through distributive leadership.

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5. Accessibility 5.1 Home to school travel time All children currently attending Findochty could be transported to a school in Buckie or nearby in under 15 minutes. 5.2 Distance to another school There are 5 other Buckie ASG schools within 7 miles of Findochty Primary as well as a denominational school. 5.3 Co-operative arrangements The staff at Findochty work closely with Portessie Primary in particular.

6. Strong links with the community The school has strong links with the community and the local area is used to enhance learning for pupils and provide a broad range of experiences for pupils. The school hosts a number of community events throughout the year although there are no outside lets. There are links with a number of businesses and community groups which provide relevant contexts for pupils learning. Children participate in events such as singing at a local care home. The school also supports local cultural and sporting events. Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criterion 1 Findochty provides a sound quality of educational experience. The school falls outwith the roll and financial thresholds in criteria 2 and 3 therefore criteria 4-6 have been considered. The physical capacity of the school is low and the running costs are high. There are questions regarding the sustainability of the school considering the amount of spare capacity. Recommendations

• That a review of the Buckie ASG Primary school estate be considered to look at the best options for the sustainability of education across the ASG as well as providing optimum educational benefit for all learners and best value.

Strengths

• The children are well behaved, polite and articulate, demonstrating respectful relationships between each other and between staff and the children.

• There is strong pastoral care within the school. • There are positive partnerships with parents, partners and the local

community. • The school provide a wide range of experiences for pupils • Staff work collegiately to develop the school

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Areas for Improvement

• Continue to identify the barriers to progress and use this information to ensure progression for all students over time, meeting the needs of all learners

• Use data robustly, particularly in Maths, to identify gaps and use to differentiate the learning

• Continue to develop family learning especially through the new nurture area • Re-visit the curriculum and curriculum rationale to ensure relevance to pupils

and the local context • Continue to review the learning, teaching and assessment cycle to ensure

consistency throughout the school.

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Appendix 5 MILLBANK PRIMARY SCHOOL 1. Quality Educational Experiences 1.1 Attainment PIPs data for P1 reading shows an increase in value added over the last 3 years although still below the Moray average; maths has a fluctuating trend over the last 3 years and is also below the Moray average. Data from P3 Incas shows the reading at this stage fluctuating over the last 4 years and is currently below the Moray average, mental arithmetic has a changeable pattern although it is currently above the Moray average, with general maths changeable over the last 4 years, this is currently below the Moray average, although improved from last year. P6 Incas reading shows a variation over the last 3 years but is currently above the Moray average for session 2015/16; mental arithmetic shows a fluctuating pattern over the last 3 years with this falling below the Moray average; the general maths shows a changeable pattern and currently equates to the Moray average for session 2015/16. Currently, reading is being focussed on by staff following analysis of PIPs and Incas data and in particularly, the aspects of value assed. The school are involved in the Northern Alliance Emerging Literacy initiative and are also engaging with Pie Corbett. There has been a Pupil Support Assistant who has been identified in working specifically with this initiative and along with the Support for Learning teacher is using a target setting approach to ascertain areas of targeted intervention. Writing progression is an identified area for further work to be undertaken to improve attainment within these areas. A school have work to do to support the use of a consistent tracking and monitoring system, and this should be an action for the school SIP next session. This will complement work being undertaken on curriculum and learning and teaching as well as a progression framework using the Education Scotland benchmarks as a trial to support teacher recording; systems are beginning to emerge in the gathering of evidence and learning conversations with pupils. These are at an early stage and their effectiveness should be measured throughout the session in order to assess the impact this is having on pupil attainment at all stages as well as the effectiveness of teacher judgements. There is potential to further support improved attainment through the Pupil Equity Fund and the school is currently investigating potential areas in which to use this additional funding. 1.2 Wider School Activities The school actively promotes wider school activities which take place and these are regularly celebrated at school assemblies. Most recently the school have been

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involved in the Gordonstoun cross country, Rotary quiz and regularly take part in Buckie Blethers, storytime with parents and also a range of clubs including the Lego club. Children throughout the school develop worthwhile leadership skills through various activities including the buddy system with younger pupils, prefect and house captain duties; there is scope to develop this further and ensure that there is wider opportunity for all pupils to be involved in leadership opportunities. A planned approach towards wider achievement groups would support a more robust approach to this initiative and allow for progression in skills and personal development. There is an updated reward system in place and this has been undertaken in consultation with pupils, staff as well as the parent council. all staff and pupils are clear Almost all children could talk about the revised reward system and how this worked within the school; this should be reviewed with pupils and staff as a component of further development of positive behaviour strategies at the end of this session. This would ensure there is a consistent approach throughout the school which would support positive behaviour approaches and the celebration of success for all pupils, including the children in the nursery and the Bothy. The buddy system is working well and pupils and parents were able to talk enthusiastically about the impact this has on both groups of children. Some parents spoke positively about the school and all reported on very good communication with the teaching and support staff. There is perhaps more work to be done to improve formal communication with home on a more timely manner. 1.3 ASN Provision There are 93 pupils registered with ASN on Seemis at 2016 census, this is 41.7% of the school roll, which is above the Moray average of 26.2%. The school has an Enhanced Provision which is in a standalone provision. Pupils with exceptional support needs have minimal access to learning or interacting with their peers in mainstream, although there is work being undertaken to develop and build on practice to facilitate and ensure a range of learning opportunities for all pupils. Their individualised timetables need significant development to ensure quality learning and progression and inclusion with their peer group; this is currently an area for development being undertaken by the PT SfL. Agreeing priorities for the deployment and timetabling of PSA staff is a difficulty in the school. There is opportunity to develop communication between the senior management, PT ASfL and classroom teachers further in this regard. PSA staff can be being moved without consultation or prior warning from pupils with complex needs and PSA’s being kept in class when pupils they support are absent; this is addressed at support staff meetings and the proactive approached by all staff are ensuring that these instances are in the minority. Pupils educated entirely within the ASN provision have IEP’s but these were not available for the reviewers at the time of the visit. Home school diaries are in use. Parents are appreciative of the work being done by the PT ASfL, but overall they are

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very unhappy with the current provision for pupils with additional needs in respect of inclusion, levels of support, quality and frequency of reviews and follow up from reviews. However, school records show that parental concerns are logged and only one parent during session 2016/17 raised these concerns formally. Working relationships with PSA’s are good and their input is valued. Updates on pupil’s wellbeing and learning is via verbal communication and a white board in the enhanced provision. Information gets missed and a more consistent written system is needed to ensure that everybody has access to updates; this will become more robust with the integration of a new member of staff into the team. PSA staff ERDP have now been undertaken following the appointment of the PT SfL as these had slipped slightly prior to this. Essential training required to maintain safety of staff and pupils within school is now being provided (Positive Behaviour Support); this will become a priority to ensure staff access opportunities which are available within the authority. Identification of pupil needs is through use of PIP and INCAS and referrals from teachers on a termly basis. ASfL staff meet to prioritise needs identified this way and where/how to target support from the ASfL teacher, however senior management do not appear to lead or participate in this process. This is now being addressed with greater capacity in the senior leadership team and also in the clarity of roles and responsibilities. No information was available on how or if progress for pupils with additional needs was tracked. Small groups are withdrawn from class by support for learning teachers for specific pieces of work. With some exceptions, there is still significant work needed to change teacher perception and understanding of inclusion and staged intervention. Teachers do not sufficiently recognise their role in universal support. There is an attitude that complex pupils are ‘Bothy’ pupils and don’t ‘belong’ in the classroom. Communication and collaboration between classroom teachers and Bothy staff appears to be very poor. No information was provided on processes for transitions at the time of the review although there are formal transition processes embedded within the school. Some parents reported that transition information and planning for P7’s moving to the high school, was poor. Again, with the PT SfL, the children now have access to an enhanced transition through a range of activities. 1.4 Curriculum There has been considerable work undertaken to review and revise the school vision and values and create a relevant curriculum rationale for Millbank. The school curriculum rationale is still developing and is still a working document; it has been shared with staff and this document should now be shared more widely to ensure the school community are involved in the development of this. Pupils are beginning to be able to talk about the values and how they are used to improve expectations and achievement; the staff have an awareness of the values which will become more visible in the school as the building works are completed and this will create an opportunity to ensure that this is clearly embedded within the curriculum. There are further possibilities of sharing this with parents at open afternoon events as well as through newsletters, parent meetings, Facebook, Twitter and parent evenings.

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Interdisciplinary learning is progressing within the school and this is being built into the Millbank Story and supporting the curriculum rationale; some areas are stronger than others and this should be a focus for next session. The need to note coverage of curricular areas is recognised as outdated and staff and the senior management team area confident that staff are ready to consider the aspects of “how well and how much” to further complement assessment and moderation processes within the curriculum; this will also be supported by further development of breadth, challenge and application to support progression as well as confidence in the achievement of a level. There were clear timetables in all of the classrooms to support and reinforce the curricular area being taught; in most classes, children looked to this timetable for what they were learning. Within the school there is development work being undertaken in both literacy and numeracy; the whole staff working group are implementing a collegiate system to engage with the new Benchmarks. The work being undertaken in the Northern Alliance working group will support this further. The intention is to continue to develop this as a whole school focus; this is an encouraging start and has the potential to be successful through the development of a strategic plan within school initially and then the ASG to share good practice and create a consistent approach. In order that there is a deeper understanding of Curriculum for Excellence and a clear rationale for the children at Millbank, there would be an opportunity for the staff to be more involved in the development of the strategic aspects of the curriculum as well as the progression of curricular areas. There are clear strengths emerging in the development of the curriculum in discreet areas, the next stage is to draw this together in the collegiate ongoing development of the curriculum rationale, using progressions, benchmarks and other aspects of curriculum design and support. 1.5 Learning & Teaching A focus on learning and teaching had been undertaken at Inservice last session with emphasis placed on creating more appropriate challenge and a consistent approach to pace within lessons. There are consistent and clear expectations in classes and in all lessons the learning intention and success criteria was presented and in some classes this was done in conjunction with the children and was supported and developed throughout the lesson. Over the one and half days Schools for the Future visit, there were learning visits to all classes for the staff who were in on the Monday and Tuesday. All lessons had learning intentions shared with the children and were visible in the classroom; the majority of the children reported they had learning intentions for literacy and numeracy but not always for other curricular areas. There was use of success criteria, these were beginning to be built into reflection and next steps and a natural progression is to develop the co-construction of these with the children.

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The behaviour in class over the visit was calm and purposeful and the children were very keen to engage with all members of the team and were confident when asked what they were learning; most children could articulate a level of knowledge and skills. There was some evidence of recap of prior learning in the lessons observed and pupils were able to confirm that this happens some of the time. The questioning in almost all classes focused on process and procedure; there is opportunity to deepen the questioning to ensure that higher order thinking skills are being developed. In most cases the children were not aware of the levels they were working at and were not skilled at identifying the intended learning outwith the displayed learning intentions; there is potential to develop feedback into a more formal and measurable format so children are clear regarding their successes and next steps. In almost all classes visited, the children were participating in a class lesson with little differentiation; in some instances the whole class were working from the same worksheet with the same learning intention and the pace did not match the needs of the learners in the class. Children’s needs were therefore not being met and staff had not identified those who required more challenge or who would benefit from more support. There was a positive ethos in the nursery and the positive relationships were evident. There is potential to further develop this when the nursery moves back from Lady Cathcart to the main school when building works are completed. The nursery had a number of staffing changes recently; these are beginning to show signs of change and improvement in this area with support from the Early Years Field Officer and the QIO with responsibility for Early Years. The learning environment was positive and was beginning to gain confidence in creating child centred planning and independent learning which supported and challenged all children. The use of floorbooks was successful and this was beginning to support progress in planning and achievement within the nursery. Almost all parents were happy with the quality of learning provision their children received at school and the support and challenge they received, however, most parents did not know where their children were in learning and how they could improve. 1.6 School Buildings Condition: standard B Suitability: standard B The school nearing completion of extensive building works and this will culminate in a school which is fit for purpose and has a positive learning environment. There are beginning to be a range of positive displays around the school comprising whole school initiatives and priorities as well as pupil work; there is scope to build on this further when the construction work is finished. This includes the library area which has benefitted from a joint project in creating a library within the main thoroughfare of the school as a partnership between the school and Morrisons. This has demonstrated an innovative use of partnership working which also supports

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elements of the Developing the Young Workforce initiative to create pupil “apprentices” to build and organised the library area and equipment. The school is beginning to create and present informative, well presented displays in the main corridor areas and entrance to the school and this will be further developed once the handover has completed. The majority of classrooms were well organised and resources displayed and stored in a positive and useful manner. The children showed pride in the new school building and the classroom areas, work should be undertaken to ensure that this is sustained as the school becomes accustomed to its new building. 1.7 Pastoral Care There is a positive culture of support and pastoral care for the children in the school. This is also evident in the nursery and is beginning to be apparent within the Bothy, although the progress in this area is slower and perhaps less structured. The staff felt the school was welcoming and friendly and the children felt supported by almost all of the school staff and know they can talk to staff if they have a problem. The majority of pupils were very confident, friendly and spoke highly of the school and the staff. The pupils groups were positive in most aspects of the school and had a pride in the school and there is now a potential to develop leadership opportunities within the school. GIRFEC and Shanarri displays are being placed around the school to engage pupils in their understanding of these, this should be further developed upon completion of building works and also supported in assemblies and classes. 1.8 Attendance, Exclusions & Pupil Behaviour Attendance rate is 95.9%, with the Moray average at 95.4%. Violence and aggression: 81 instances of against staff, involving 4 different pupils in session 2015/16. Exclusions: 10 involving 4 different pupils in session 2015/16. Pupil behaviour was very good during the visit and there was a positive ethos in class of care for one another and calm and orderly procedure in corridors. However, some pupils did refer to aspects of poor behaviour in the playground which should be investigated further. 2. School roll The school roll for session 2016/17 is 223 pupils, a decrease of 67 pupils from 2001. Forecast roll for 2020 is 238 pupils, which is an increase of 15. The school roll is currently at 50% of functional capacity. 2.1 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 4 years: 2013/14: +5, 2014/15: -2, 2015/16: -7. 2016/17: 16 inward placing requests 2.2 Outward placing requests 2016/17: 11 outward placing requests

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2.3 Roll as percentage of capacity 2016 School Roll: 223; Functional Capacity: 50% 2.4 Class composition In 2016 there were 9 classes, 5 of which are single stage and 4 are composite classes. The P1/2, P2/3, P4/5 and P5/6 are the composite classes. 2.6 Number of teachers There are 13.8 FTE teaching staff (17 staff) – 10.8 teachers, 1 Principal Teacher, 1 Principal Teacher ASfL, 2 Depute Headteachers and 1 Headteacher. 2.7 School roll 2016 School Roll: 223 3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil in 2015/16 was £3,398. 3.2 Financial trends At the end of 2015/16 there was an underspend of £15,539 which is 2.58% of the budget. 3.3 Financial plans There are no significant financial plans with the exception of the Pupil Equity Fund, which is currently being developed under planned expenditure in line with Scottish Government requirements and the needs of the school; tentative plans include nurture training for staff and family support structures. Conclusion On the basis of the evaluations of criteria 1-3 Millbank Primary School is a sustainable school. The roll and enrolment forecasts indicate the school will remain above the minimum roll threshold for a primary school. There are no financial concerns over the school. There is therefore no need to evaluate criteria 4-6 at this time. Recommendations • Due to recent renovations, Millbank Primary School has spare capacity. Taking

into consideration capacity in other schools and the facilities available at Millbank, a review of the Buckie ASG Primary School estate should look to make maximum use of this availability in order to streamline the school estate and provide educational benefits for the children.

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Areas of Strength

• The school has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and ethos • All staff are committed to ensuring support and opportunity for the children at

Millbank • The children are confident individuals and have a pride in their school and

community • Progress is being made in developing and implementing Aifl approaches

Areas for Improvement

• Further development in learning and teaching to ensure consistency of good practice within the school and create more opportunity to look outwards

• Implement opportunities for pupil voice to be developed to influence school improvement and progress

• Continue to develop the curriculum with a focus on progression • Pupils are ready and willing to learn and there is an opportunity to further develop

the language of learning and the pace of learning • Improvement in timely and appropriate communication within the school and with

the school community

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Appendix 6

Portessie Primary

1. Quality Educational Experience 1.1 Attainment Overall most children make some progress in their learning across the school. In session 2014/15 children regressed in Reading at the end of P1 whereas in the main there was a slight improvement in 2015/16. In Maths children came in to P1 with slightly higher on entry scores and regressed by the end of the year in the last two academic years. P3 InCAS reading, mental arithmetic and general maths scores are in the main above the Moray average although in 2015/16 they were equal to the Moray average for mental arithmetic. P6 InCas scores were above the Moray average in 2015/16 in reading, mental arithmetic and general maths. Children make progress in mental arithmetic from P3 to P6 although there is a decline in reading and in general maths. Mental maths was an identified weak area with teachers now putting more time to this during the week. Writing has also been identified, particularly imaginative writing and this will be targeted for development. There are no formal methods of tracking pupil progress in place and this should be addressed. Staff use star reader tests and other data to identify individual children who require support. Moderation of writing occurs twice a year using SSLN criteria and focussing on the end product. Cross moderation has taken place with the ASG Secondary school. Staff should consider moderating planning, learning and assessment in order to ensure shared understanding of standards and also to assist where job shares exist. Benefits would be gained from working more closely with other schools in the ASG as well as making links with other Moray schools. 1.2 Wider school activities The school’s vision is ‘Success for all’ with many opportunities for children to participate in a variety of activities including Cross Country, Basketball and Cricket. P7 pupils benefit from participating in a leadership course run by Active Schools where they gain valuable skills as well as delivering inputs to P1-3. The school enters a team in the annual Rotary and Library quizzes. There are two residential opportunities available with a ski trip for P7 and an outdoor learning experience for P6. Both are jointly run with Portgordon, Portknockie and Findochty primaries developing skills across all four capacities whilst also preparing the children for transition to Buckie High. Children can be voted to represent their class on the Pupil Council where they can put forward ideas to improve the school. P7 pupils can be nominated as vice-captains taking on roles across the school as well as sitting on the Pupil Council. There are annual events including the Bulb Show and Slochie’s got providing tradition and opportunities for the community to attend and celebrate success. 2.3 ASN provision Thirty one pupils were registered with ASN on Seemis equating to 39.2% of the school roll (79). This is well above the Moray primary school average. The school has historically worked with a range of partner agencies and shared relevant, appropriate information. The school works with the ASN staged intervention model to

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identify need and next steps starting with teacher judgement; then contacting Support for Learning teacher who offers advice, resources and intervention suggestions. Differentiation in class is apparent. Small groups are withdrawn from classes for maths and literacy; mixed year classes are taught maths by level of achievement. IEPs are reviewed termly, including pupil input, with draft IEP being written by SfL and class teacher before sharing with parents for comment. Formative and summative assessment, weekly check-ups are used to track progress. At the start of each year, pupils identify their strengths and areas for development, leading to support plans with success criteria which are shared with class teacher. There is limited use of ICT due to technical reasons. The school have identified the need for greater outdoor learning and life skills work. Reading in class is encouraged for all pupils. GIRFEC, SHANARRI are combined into SLOCHIE which is worked on and understood by pupils. Pupils enjoy learning in school; there is no stigma when receiving additional support. Pupil Council has a clear voice and Learning Together afternoon allows for cross-year working on areas such as Rights Respecting Schools. Success is celebrated formally with weekly recognition of “star pupil” nominated by other pupils. Support staff are allocated to a class and work with any pupil who requires help; there are monthly meeting with Head Teacher. Transition is a focus from Nursery to P1, P7 to secondary and between school classes. The school does not have to resources to be able to meet the most severe and complex needs. 1.4 Curriculum The school aims to provide a suitably broad and balanced curriculum with the vision to have Success for All. Learning Together Time has great potential particularly in leading forward the children’s rights agenda although the planned learning should be shared more routinely with staff and children should be more aware of the purpose and skills they are developing. The HT uses collegiate time to discuss the curriculum with staff. Children would benefit greatly if these discussions continued with a view to using data to ensure that children not only receive their entitlements but also identified gaps are given greater prominence. This should include more time for Mathematics and review Maths setting arrangements. Staff’s understanding of the Curriculum should be further developed so that they know what they are planning in terms of learning experiences. This could include consideration of the benefits gained by continuing with daily activity for 15 minutes. Plans to consider Growth Mindset should continue as well as continuing to engage parents so that they can both support their children’s particularly with homework tasks. Progressions in Maths and Literacy have been a focus and this work should be completed whilst also considering all other curricular areas. The close links with the community should be referred to when considering the “Slochie” curriculum and every opportunity should be taken to use the outdoors as well as the surrounding area as this is a great strength of the school and passion of the staff team. The school vision and values have recently been revisited with pupils although there could be opportunities to slim these down further whilst also consulting more widely so that Portessie lives up to the aim to make it the best possible experience for the children. Consideration should be given to the contexts for learning for interdisciplinary learning so that children can learn about their local area as well as Scotland as a whole and international links made. Explicit links should be made so that children are aware of the numeracy and literacy skills that they are applying in unfamiliar contexts. There is a shanarri focus for health week with activities linked to the school’s values. In order

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to ensure that there is greater pace in learning, staff should develop tracking systems to monitor individual’s progress. Moderation activity should start at the planning process and should not be focussed on end products. 1.5 Learning & Teaching Children engaged well with the reviewing team, were polite, well-behaved, confident and loved to talk about their school and the opportunities available to them. There were established routines and a behaviour strategy but children found this to be quite negative and confusing and didn’t always feel that positive behaviour and attitudes were celebrated. Classrooms were bright, well-resourced and featured some helpful displays to aid children’s learning. Corridor displays were sometimes outdated and could be refreshed to showcase current learning. There were positive relationships between staff and pupils with children eager to share their experiences and in particular their engagement with the headteacher. There was evidence of differentiated work although at times the pace of learning was too slow particularly where it was clear that children had grasped a concept and should have been moved on or provided opportunities to apply that learning in an unfamiliar context. Children were well supported by support staff who worked well with individuals and small groups. Teachers shared learning intentions with children but they were not always fully aware of the learning and were not giving the opportunity to co-create success criteria. Although target setting was evident in some classes, children were unsure of their individual goals or next steps in learning. In some classes, children were not always on task. During the visit ICT was used to motivate pupils and to enhance teaching. Written feedback in jotters was not always evident but children were able to speak about verbal feedback provided by teachers. Staff would benefit from using collegiate time to revisit formative assessment practices and use opportunities to learn from each other where good practice is evident. Teachers were not always aware of the discrete learning within Maths setting thus impacting on application of skills being developed within interdisciplinary work. 1.6 School buildings Condition: standard C (2016) Suitability: standard B The Headteacher has been replacing blinds on windows. There are 3 vacant classrooms currently being used as an IT Room, music room and library. There is also a classroom which houses a partner Early Learning and Childcare centre. Some rooms, including the Headteacher’s office are cold which cannot be energy efficient. There has been issues with the Boiler and although it has been updated, parts are difficult to come by. Corridor areas would benefit from repainting and flooring in the school could be upgraded. There is spare capacity within the school buildings and although there is a projected rising roll there will continue to be capacity for some time to come. An outdoor adventure park has been recently added through fundraising activities. The Wi-Fi system does not provide campus wide support even though the building is not extensive. 1.7 Pastoral Care There is a family atmosphere in the school and very positive relationships between pupils and staff. Children are happy, well looked after and nurtured. The children are eager to please staff and benefit from praise. They speak very highly of staff and in particular the Headteacher and as a result are happy to approach anyone if they

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have a problem. A successful buddy system is in operation in the playground ensuring that children have someone to turn to. This is extended to make positive links with the partner playgroup. Although there is a rewards system in place, children were not always clear of expectations. Over the last few years a number of tragic incidents have affected the school. The family feel and community warmth has ensured that support has been available, They speak about losing slochie points and feel there is no incentive over a term once you have lost points as they are then not entered into the termly draw. This should be revisited with a focus on positivity. 1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate: 95.7% as opposed to Moray average across Primary of 95.4%. Violence and aggression towards staff: no incidents Exclusions – nil. Good standards of behaviour were evident in classes and in corridors and play areas during the visit. Older children take on leadership roles in the playground and spoke about some signs that they had made to remind pupils of expected standards outside during break and lunchtime. Some children have displayed more challenging behaviour this session. Changes had been made to reward children whose behaviour was good although concerns were made about its use to help those whose behaviour could improve. 2. School roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast

The School Roll in 2016 is 79 pupils. This has decreased by 55 from 2001. The school roll is forecast to increase to 87 in 2020. This will not impact on the number of classes required which is currently 4.

The current functional capacity is 160. 2.2 Inward placing requests

Net placings over last 3 years: 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0. 2015-16: no placing request.

2.3 Outward placing requests 2015-16: no outward placing requests. 2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity

2016 School Roll - 79 / Functional Capacity 160 = 49% 2.5 Class composition 2016 – 4 classes: all composite classes

(Classes: Composite – P1/2, P3/4, P4/5 and P6/7) 2.6 Number of teachers 2016 – 5.4 FTE (6 staff) (4.4 teachers, 1 Head Teacher) 2.7 School roll 2016 School Roll: 79 (41% of physical capacity of 192)

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3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil in 2016/17 was £4,005. This is fourth highest across the eight primary schools in the ASG 3.2 Financial trends

At the end of 2015/16 there was an underspend of 0.52%. 3.3 Financial plans The Head Teacher has used her budget to increase support staff as well as providing additional admin time. 4 Staff wellbeing and development 4.1 Availability of teachers The school is fully staffed, including an NQT. There are a number of part-time teaching staff meaning that classes are shared and consideration has to be given to this when planning collegiate time. The HT is very appreciative of how flexible staff are. 4.2 Head teacher relief time There is no Head Teacher Relief teacher however the employment of an NQT means that the Head Teacher covers McCrone time. 4.3 Leadership capacity All staff want the school to improve however there is an expectation that this is the responsibility of the headteacher. They would welcome the opportunity to visit other schools. Pupils benefit from leadership opportunities including Pupil Council, Vice Captain and Buddying roles and this should be extended further. The number of part-time staff has an impact on capacity to take on leadership roles. 4.4 Staff development and leadership of improvement and change Staff report that they work well as a team and see the school as a supportive community. Self-evaluation and reflection is not embedded across the school. The school has self-evaluation processes in place. The Head Teacher should encourage staff to take on leadership roles as leaders of learning but also for projects as part of school improvement. There is a need for clearer strategic direction to drive forward identified improvements. Staff would benefit greatly from working with a stage partner to assist with shared understanding of standards in the planning and assessment of learning and teaching. Careful consideration of part-time contracts has to be made to ensure that all staff benefit from collegiate activities. 5. Accessibility 5.1 Home to school travel time All children currently attending Portessie could be transported to a school in Buckie or nearby in under 10 minutes.

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5.2 Distance to another suitable school There are 5 other Buckie ASG schools within 7 miles of Portessie Primary as well as a denominational school. 5.3 Co-operative arrangements The staff at Portessie work closely with Findochty Primary in particular although there are cooperative arrangements for school trips with Portgordon and Portknockie also. 6. Strong links with the community 6.1 Parents’ views Most parents are very supportive and have very positive views about the school. They talk highly of staff and are appreciative of the opportunities made available to children. Parents volunteer as helpers in the classroom with some becoming classroom assistants. They support after school activities and are happy to contribute to events and help out as required. 6.2 Degree and quality of parental involvement Parents make valuable contributions to the work and life of the school and are very supportive. The Parent Council is proactive, contributes to school self-evaluation and has taken a lead in recruiting parent volunteers in school. Parents assist with a variety of school activities including drama group and sports day and supporting the Pupil Business Groups (enterprise, eco, global citizenship, festival, health & travel). This can involve bringing in outside expertise to assist with events. 6.3 Contribution of the school to the community The school has very close links with the community. The annual Bulb Show is well attended including those who no longer have direct links to the school. The physical closeness to the community hall results in close ties between school and local residents. 6.4 Other provision (e.g. nursery) There is no nursery provision at the school although a partner playgroup makes use of a room and other facilities.

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6.5 Multi-functional use of building

The school hall is used for a variety of evening school events. The close proximity of the community hall means that most community events take place within this setting. 6.6 Capacity in nearest schools (Buckie ASG schools only) Findochty –%; Portknockie - % and Cluny –% Millbank %, Cullen % physical capacities. Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criterion 1 Portessie provides a sound quality of educational experience. The school falls outwith the roll and financial thresholds in criteria 2 and 3 therefore criteria 4-6 have been considered. Running costs are high. The building requires work for it to improve and Wi-Fi is limited with increasing demand and expectations on the use of digital literacy in learning. Recommendations

• Using the agreed criteria, it is deemed that Portessie is not sustainable. Consideration should be given to a review of the Buckie ASG primary school estate.

Strengths

• The leadership opportunities available for children and some staff

• The very confident pupils who feel safe and happy to approach the HT or any other adult in the school, highlighting the very positive relationships that exist across the school community

• The strong links with the local community where they respond to the needs of the school as well as the school’s involvement in the local community

• The inclusive staff team who work well together and who have the potential to embrace their professional development and leadership opportunities further

• The very positive relationship with the partner Early Learning and Childcare setting based in the school and the opportunities for children to progress in their learning

Areas for Improvement

• Review the behaviour strategy to place an emphasis on positivity

• Review the use of learning together time in order to develop progressive skills and focussed learning opportunities

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• Revisit formative assessment practices in order to increase pace, challenge and raise attainment

• Create a curriculum which suits the context of the school and which supports the children at Portessie

• The Headteacher should provide strategic leadership to ensure that self-evaluation for self-improvement is embedded throughout the school community and drives forward change

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Appendix 7

Portgordon Primary

1 Quality Educational Experience 1.1 Attainment Given the current school roll of Portgordon, data from PIPs and INCAS standardised assessments are variable year upon year, due to the differing class size and individual performance. The P3 InCAS for data from 2016/17 shows deterioration in the average score in reading, mental arithmetic and general maths, all of which are below the Moray average. Mental Arithmetic shows an increase in average score for 13/14 to 14/15 but a significant decrease by 16/17, taking the average score to below the Moray average. General maths shows an increase in the average score from 14/15 to 15/16 but a significant decrease in 16/17 to below the Moray average. Reading is also a similar trend with an increase in average score in 13/14 and 14/15 but a decrease in 15/16 and 16/17. Individually the majority of individual P3 pupils are average for reading, mental arithmetic and general maths scores. Class size has reduced from 10 pupils to 6, and due to less children performing above the Moray average this has impacted on overall attainment. The P6 InCAS scores show a similar trend with the majority of pupils on or below the Moray average in 2015/16, with the exception of General maths where the majority of pupils are below the Moray average. The value added for reading shows a slight increase from P3 to P6 but there is a significant decrease in both mental arithmetic and in general maths. Reviewing the PIPS data, since 2013/14 P1 attainment in reading and maths has regressed. PIPs scores indicate that value added has decreased over session 15/16 for both Reading and Maths, with both Reading and Maths in 15/16 being below the Moray average. This is primarily due to the small number of pupils in this cohort and some of the individual learning needs within the class. The Head teacher is aware of the barriers to learning with regards to Numeracy and is in the process of reviewing methods currently used to track pupil progress. The Head teacher is also in the process of further developing teaching mythologies to ensure that identified gaps are addressed and that pupil progress is clear and succinct. Literacy progressions are in place with regards to Writing and there is a focus on Spelling for next session. Tracking for reading is still to be developed. Individual pupil support is in place for some of the children who require additional assistance with their learning through ESF Funding and Pupil Support Assistants. 1.2 Wider school activities Portgordon recognises and celebrates wider achievement through ‘Magic Moments’ at Assemblies. Parents are invited to attend Assemblies and staff liaise with the Head teacher with regards to any wider achievements or successes the pupils may

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have had. There are a number of extra-curricular opportunities for pupils at Portgordon with regards to wider school activities. Chess, Cross-Country Running and Basketball are all on offer during the lunch period and are run by Class Teachers. There are also strong community links and the local Bowling Club offers an introduction to the sport as an after school activity. The Parent Council recently funded additional bowls for pupils who wish to take part. Pupils are not yet tracking their own progress with regards to wider achievement but the teachers monitor the successes of their pupils to ensure that if there are gaps identified and addressed. The school operates a House Captain system that provides P7 pupils the opportunity to undertake a leadership role within the school. The Active School Co-ordinator is also working closely with P7 pupils to develop their leadership skills and support them in taking responsibility for extra-curricular activities aimed at younger pupils. Leadership opportunities for both pupils and staff could be further enhanced through committees or councils, that could have specific responsibility for leading areas of development and improvement within the school. This opportunity would assist pupils in developing skills for learning, life and work, as well as allow them to reflect on their own educational journey and identify their individual strengths and areas for improvement. There is an active Parent council group that have been involved in the organisation of fundraising events. The parents recognise the improvements the current Head teacher has made and commented on her efficiency when working between the two schools. It would now be worthwhile considering how to utilise this group with regards to school improvement, and in particular enhancing parental involvement and engagement. 1.3 ASN provision Eighteen pupils were registered with additional support needs on Seemis equating to 31% of the school roll, above the Moray primary school average. Staged intervention is being embedded in the classroom with teachers developing an understanding of their responsibilities; visuals are used; active learning is embedded as a tool for supporting pupils individually and in small groups. There are currently no children in Child’s Planning process but in the past there has been communication with other agencies using specific pupil folders and chronologies. Class teachers engage in dialogue with SfL teacher to discuss assessment and suitable support strategies/interventions. SfL teacher will carry out assessments, more usually formative rather than summative. SfL teacher mainly works with individual pupils although there are literacy small groups and a social skills group. The SfL teacher is skilled in her work with pupils; use is made of ICT; there is a safe area for pupils to leave class and go to with a staff rota to monitor this area. The Head Teacher is working to establish a clear vision of inclusion both within the school and in the wider community; a holistic view is taken of every child; all teachers know all children; children look out for each other; there has been work done to appreciate that people face different challenges. Pupils are motivated through challenge and are enthusiastic and keen to share the different types of learning that goes on within the school. SfL teacher reflects on child’s learning to identify next steps in dialogue with child; work is differentiated in class; learning is transferred and linked to new situations. Pupils were clear that teachers helped them with their learning and made

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learning fun and relevant. Support staff spend time with individuals but work with the whole class. IEPs are reviewed 4 times a year with class teacher having responsibility for most of the targets; a start has been made to involve parents in agreeing targets but they are not involved in reviewing IEPs; pupil progress is tracked through IEP or support plan. The school uses numeracy and literacy tracking systems and data from PIPs, INCAS to identify where support is required to close the attainment gap. The school does not have the resources to be able to meet the most severe and complex needs. 1.4 Curriculum The school is in the process of renewing their vision, values and aims. These should now incorporate nurture and behaviour which will help improve the consistency of behaviour strategies and the overall expectation of pupils within the school. There is a rationale for the curriculum in place but the school would benefit from revisiting ‘Building the Curriculum’ again, in light of their new vision values and aims, to identify any gaps to then create a suitably broad and relevant curriculum. Consideration should be given to the local context and demographic of the school, particularly when addressing topics and themes within classrooms and the school should make use of the strong community links that are already in place. In doing so parents may be more readily available to help support the delivery of the curriculum and indeed the school. In order to raise attainment in Literacy and Numeracy consideration should be given to the timetabling of these subjects in particular. While Literacy and Numeracy feature in the daily routine of the pupils, the placement of these subjects within the school day, and the length of time allocated, could be improved in order to create better opportunities for pupils to learn. Staff are currently working collegiately with the Head teacher to create Maths and Spelling progressions but these are still in the early stages of development. In continuing to develop a deeper understanding of Curriculum for Excellence further opportunity could be provided for staff to be more involved in the development of strategic aspects of the curriculum, as well as the progression of curricular areas. It will be important for staff to all be aware of and use progressions, particularly in Literacy and Numeracy, so that they have a clear understanding of individuals’ previous learning and next steps. Feedback can then be targeted and learning conversations better structured so that all pupils are aware of the levels at which they are working and their own individual targets. The opportunity to take ownership of learning will be much easier, particularly in the upper stages, where the co-creation of the success criteria could be developed further. Interdisciplinary learning experiences are working well in Literacy and the Head teacher is aware of the need to develop this further in relation to both other curricular areas. Once in place this will complement opportunities for discrete learning in curricular areas, providing pupils with their entitlement to a broad general education.

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1.5 Learning & Teaching During the visit there was a calm and positive ethos throughout the school in in the classrooms. All Class Teachers mentioned the emphasis they put on developing a confident and positive atmosphere and they are aware of pupils developing a growth mindset in relation to their learning. Pupils spoke highly of their school and commented on the different positive behaviour strategies that were in place. They were confident in explaining some of the learning that was taking place within their classrooms but most struggled to understand the relevance of certain topics to them. While some staff are making use of a learning intention and success criteria in lessons, this is inconsistent across the school. By routinely sharing learning intentions and co-creating success criteria, children would further develop the language of learning and be confident in discussing and sharing their own targets. The Head teacher is planning to revisit the Learning and Teaching strategy with staff and develop pupil voice throughout the school. Staff enjoy working with stage partners for other local schools which is ensuring a consistency of standard. This will aid moderation and Teacher professional Judgement when commenting on Achievement of a Level. The school has adopted many active approaches to learning and creativity, particularly within the Nursery environment where responsive planning and child-led learning was evident. The balance between structured and active learning is being reviewed by the Head teacher to ensure its relevance and place within the curriculum. During class visits there was some evidence of differentiation but this could be further developed to better meet individual’s needs. The pace and challenge of lessons needs to be addressed so that all pupils are working at a level appropriate to them. In the lessons observed there was little opportunity for pupil independence or involvement as lessons were predominantly adult-led with a significant of time dedicated to listening or observing the teacher. Therefore, due to the limited time remaining, set tasks were rushed and/or did not stretch learners seeking further challenge. The opportunity for child-lead learning and independence could be better exploited to support pace and challenge. Most parents were happy with the provision their children received at school and several commented on the commitment of the Head teacher to the school. However, parents were keen to stress the lack of pace and challenge they also saw evidenced in Homework and their desire to be more involved in supporting their children with learning. Most parents did not know where their children were in learning and how they could improve. 1.6 School buildings Condition: standard C (2016) Suitability: standard B (2016) The school was bright and well kept. Classrooms were tidy and well presented. The school has been recently repainted and new carpets have been laid. Nursery staff are looking to develop the outdoor space. The school does not have a gym hall/canteen and make use of a community hall across the road from the school. Access to this is via a road which is adjacent to two very sharp bends in the road making visibility poor.

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1.7 Pastoral Care There is a positive culture of support and praise at Portgordon primary School. Staff and pupils feel valued and supported within the school and recognise the role the Head teacher plays in supporting them. Staff know the children well and are knowledgeable in child protection procedures. They are quick to identify an issues or concerns in relation to the pupils due the positive working relationships they have developed within the school. Classrooms were well organised and purposeful. Parents were very positive when talking about the school. Their children enjoy being at the school and the positive environment created. They felt that the children were well behaved and that there was a calm ethos in the school. The school is working towards becoming a ‘Rights Respecting School’ by working in partnership with UNICEF which will further enhance the ethos of the school. Teachers have developed a growth mindset focus in classrooms and this is continuing to be developed across all stages. There is strong teamwork evident between staff and they appeared relaxed, friendly and supportive of each other, and indeed their colleagues within the ASG. 1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate: 96.00% as opposed to Moray average across Primary of 95.38%. Authorised absences – 6.33% (Moray 3.7%) Unauthorised absences – 0.67% (Moray – 1%) Violence and aggression towards staff: no incidents Exclusions – nil During the visit pupil behaviour was good and children moved around the school in a calm and controlled manner. Classroom behaviour was to a similar standard and the Headteacher commented on their being few behavioural issues. 2. School roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast The School Roll in 2016 is 58 pupils. This has decreased by 31 from 2001. The school roll is forecast to increase to 60 in 2020. 2.2 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 3 years: 2013: 3, 2014: 1, 2015: 1; Inward placing requests 2016/17 - 3 2.3 Outward placing requests 2016/17: 4 outward placing requests. 2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity The current functional capacity is 135, with the school roll at 58 they are operating at 43% capacity. 2.5 Class composition 2016 – 3 classes: all composite classes (Composite classes – P1/2/3 P4/5 and P6/7)

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2.6 Number of teachers 2016 – 3.86 FTE (5 staff - includes 2.4 Teachers, 1 Principal Teacher, 0.46 Head Teacher). The Headteacher position is paired with Portknockie Primary School. 2.7 Maximum Capacity 2016 Physical Capacity: 149 (58) 3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil is £4,306 per year which is the second highest in the ASG for a primary school. 3.2 Financial trends At the end of session 2015-16, the school had an underspend of £24,321 which is 11.2% of the annual budget. This is outwith the 10% limit and is not the first year that this has been the case. 3.3 Financial plans The Headteacher has used her budget to recarpet and repaint the school. The school is well resourced and the Headteacher is prudent in not allocating budget to non-essential spend during times of severe budget constraints. 4. Staff wellbeing and development 4.1 Availability of teachers The school was fully staffed at the time of the visit. However, since that time one teacher has been successfully seconded to another school as Acting Depute Headteacher and another has been appointed to a post in another school. As a result the school has only one permanent member of staff i.e. the Principal Teacher. At the time of this report being submitted the school did not have staff appointed for two classes for pupils returning in August. 4.2 Headteacher relief time The Headteacher position is paired and so this is not applicable. 4.3 Leadership Capacity The Head teacher is responsible for two schools within the Buckie ASG and her time is split accordingly. The Head teacher uses self-evaluation to collate evidence with regards to improvement and uses this to fully understand the schools’ key strengths and areas for development. Parents commented positively on the speed at which the Head teacher had led improvement and changes within the school. 4.4 Staff development and leadership of improvement and change Staff work effectively together as a team and feel comfortable contributing the improvement agenda of the school. During Focus Group discussions staff commented on feeling valued and enjoyed the opportunity to work with a stage partner from another school. The school improvement plan is created collegiately but the school should now look to include pupil and parent voice within this. There is

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an opportunity to further develop strategic leadership roles and responsibilities at Class teacher level, in order to build capacity to drive forward improvement. 5. Accessibility 5.1 Home to school travel time The closest schools to Portgordon Primary, are St Peters and Cluny Primaries which lie within 3 miles. Millbank is just over 3 miles and there is spare capacity at the school. 5.2 Distance to another suitable school There are 7 primary schools within the ASG, which includes a denominational primary school. These schools fall within 7 miles of Portgordon Primary. The secondary school for this ASG is Buckie High School. 5.3 Co-operative arrangements The staff in Portgordon Primary have taken part in literacy moderation activities within the ASG, which also involves the associated secondary school, Buckie High. They also work closely with stage partners at Portknockie Primary School. 6. Strong links with the community 6.1 Parents’ views Parents are very supportive of the school and have positive views. They are asked for their opinions through questionnaires, informal contacts such as drop-in sessions as well as school events. 6.2 Degree and quality of parental involvement Parents make contributions to the work and life of the school. The Parent Council contributes to a variety of school events and are involved in fundraising projects for the school. During Focus Group discussions the Parents commented on wanting to be better informed with regards to their child’s learning and, in particular, Homework activities. 6.3 Contribution of the school to the community The school has very good links with the community and interacts with a number of local groups to support learning. This includes involvement from the local Community Bowling Club. 6.4 Other provision (e.g. nursery) The school runs a nursery session in the morning with capacity for 20 children. 6.5 Multi-functional use of building N/A 6.6 Capacity in nearest schools (Buckie ASG schools only) Portessie 49%,Findochty 30%; Portknockie 35% and Cluny 74%, Millbank 49%, Cullen 64% physical capacities.

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Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criterion 1 Portgordon provides a sound quality of educational experience. The school falls outwith the roll and financial thresholds in criteria 2 and 3 therefore criteria 4-6 have been considered. The running costs are high. The lack of dining space or gym hall in the school is a concern. Recommendations

• Using the agreed criteria, it is deemed that Portgordon is not sustainable. Consideration should be given to a review of the Buckie ASG primary school estate.

Strengths

• Positive and calm ethos. The children feel safe within the school and parents emphasised the considerable improvements that have been made.

• The Head teacher is liked and respected by all. Teachers feel supported in their role and parents/pupils commented on the commitment of the Head teacher, who was able to deal with any problems that arose quickly and effectively.

• The school building is well maintained and bright. Classrooms are well presented and tidy.

• There are strong community links. The school and the community work well together to enhance the learning opportunities for the children.

• There was evidence of Learning Intentions/Success Criteria/Active Learning being used in classrooms but this was inconsistent on the day of the visit.

• Continue to use the ‘Moray Learning and Teaching Strategy’ to develop pedagogical thinking.

Areas for Improvement

• Incorporate nurture and behaviour within vision, values and aims, currently being reviewed, to ensure consistency of implementation and expectation.

• Consider revisiting the curriculum based on new vision, values and aims, and the relevance of this to the local context, building upon the local links already established.

• Revisit numeracy and literacy with an emphasis on pace and challenge and meeting the needs of all learners.

• Develop pupil and parental voice at every level.

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Appendix 8

Portknockie Primary

1. Quality Educational Experience

1.1 Attainment The school tracks the progress of pupils over time through the PIPs and INCAS standardised assessments. The head teacher meets with the class teacher to discuss and identify next steps for learners each term and learning conversations take place with pupils. PIPS data shows that in the years 2013/14 and 2014/15 there has been negative value added to P1 average reading scores. There was an increase in value added in average reading scores in 2015/16 which took the value added above the Moray average. The average entry scores for reading have declined year on year from 2013 to 2016 for children from nurseries, and fell below the Moray average in 2015/16. The school have identified that this is mainly due to individual pupils who have been referred to SFL for additional support. Analysis of the PIPS data for Maths shows a decline in average entry scores from 2013 – 2016 and have consistently remained below the Moray average. The PIPS average exit scores show negative average value added from 2013-2015, however in 2015/16 there is positive value added in line with the Moray average. P3 INCAS reading data shows a steady increase in the average scores for reading bringing the school above the average score in Moray. Mental Arithmetic shows a decrease from 2013/14 to 2014/15 and from 2015/16 to 2016/17, with an increase from 2014/15-2015/16. Therefore, the school is currently operating below the Moray average of 97.2 average. General Maths scores over the same period show an increase from 2013/14 – 2014/15 but a decrease from 2014/15 – 2015/16 and 2015/16 – 2016/17, taking the school below the Moray average. The school would benefit from investigating the reasons behind these fluctuations in order to share good practice and continue to raise attainment. P6 INCAS Reading data shows a decrease in average scores between 2013/14 and 2015/16 with an increase in 2015/16. The score is just below the Moray average for 2015/16. The average Mental Arithmetic scores show a decrease, year on year, from 2013/14 – 2015/16 and are below the Moray average for the last two years. General Maths follows this trend with a decrease from 2013/14 – 2015/16 each year taking the school below the Moray average. The school have identified that this may be due to changes in the teaching of Maths concepts which are not grasped so quickly. Therefore, this should be monitored and investigated to make appropriate improvements. Staff should continue to track pupil progress and working with the ASG on moderation in order to have a common understanding of the standards expected.

1.2 Wider school activities The school has strong links with the community and makes beneficial use of the local context to enhance experiences for pupils. Opportunities to work with the local community such as the Bowling Club and local church have developed children’s understanding of their local area and the community in which they live. This has also been developed through the regular walks through the local area undertaken by the pupils through the Health and Wellbeing Policy as staff identified that pupils had limited understanding about the area in which they live. Older pupils provide

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‘Buddies’ for younger pupils and participate in House Groups and as part of the library squad operated with parents, giving them ownership of their learning and opportunities for developing leadership skills. Pupils feel there are a wide variety of activities offered to them and enjoy the diversity. Outdoor learning and the annual sports event are well attended by parents and the community and parents are supportive of the school. Wider achievements are celebrated by the school in assemblies and through display boards in the school. The children stated that they enjoyed the opportunity to sit at the ‘red table’ at lunchtimes. However, parents felt that there were more opportunities in the past and that they were unaware of the children being celebrated.

1.3 ASN provision 19 pupils were recorded with additional support needs on Seemis equating to 32.3% of the school roll, above the Moray primary school average. GIRFEC and Inclusion are embedded in the school and Team around the Child, including partners, is central to meeting the needs of learners. ASN teacher is ELKLAN trained to identify and meet specific needs. She is very well organised and uses a range of support strategies including withdrawal support, group work and support in classes along with advising class teachers following in depth dialogue about individual pupil needs. This supplements the use of baseline data. Interventions are planned according to CfE with clear learning intentions. There are groups run with a focus on literacy and numeracy along with life skills and social skills. Support strategies are shared as part of support plans and IEPs which are reviewed three times each year. There is a need to develop ways of including pupils and parents in formally writing and reviewing targets. There is good use of elaborated curriculum, visuals in the classroom and daily learning conversations with pupils. Children are actively involved in their learning and use next steps to move forward; use is made of self and peer assessment. Pupil progress is tracked with regular review of targets and almost daily feedback to class teacher. Support staff are effectively used and directed to areas of need; timetables are reviewed termly with alterations being made as needs change. Pupil profiles, which are regularly updated, are held in each classroom. Pupils are confident to talk about the support they receive from their teachers and how important it is to them; they are proud of their school. The school would have difficulty in meeting the needs of pupils with the most severe and complex needs because of a lack of suitable facilities. 1.4 Curriculum The school provides a broad curriculum with a strong emphasis on Health and Wellbeing. There is evidence of staff planning collaboratively and taking into account pupils’ prior knowledge. As identified by the school the planning and integration of progressions and benchmarks should continue to be developed to establish a shared understanding of expectations at each level. Interdisciplinary learning experiences are planned by staff ‘bundling’ Es&Os and provide pupils with an interesting, broad range of experiences. Some of these are set in relevant contexts and provide opportunities for engagement with the local community. This could be extended so that the wider learning opportunities within IDL experiences are more relevant and

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fully reflect the local context, with the learning opportunities made explicit to pupils to ensure progression of learning. The school would benefit from re-visiting the curriculum rationale to establish the time devoted to Literacy and Numeracy in light of the information provided by the PIPS and INCAS data.

1.5 Learning & Teaching Across the school children were polite, well behaved and were very respectful of each other and happy to engage with unknown adults. Routines are evident in all aspects of school life and children are very aware of positive behaviour strategies and any consequences. Classrooms are bright and stimulating learning environments which are well resourced with wall displays to assist children in their learning. Positive engagement between staff and children was evident in all classes Classrooms and corridors were bright and well-presented containing a range of pupils work and celebrating children’s achievements. Most classrooms were well organised with opportunities for active learning. Children were happy and confident, and able to talk about their tasks and activities. In most classes staff used a questioning approach to develop understanding and thinking skills. Staff used prior knowledge of learning to inform their teaching and are developing raised expectations through a growth mindset. Learning intentions and success criteria were routinely shared with learners during the visit and some children were able to say what they were learning and the skills involved. Formative assessment practices were observed in classes with most teachers using questioning to develop understanding. There was evidence of pupils being involved in assessing their own work or that of others and some pupils were able to identify their next steps. Written feedback was provided in some jotters but this was not always linked to the success criteria. Therefore, the staff would benefit from sharing practice to ensure a consistency of approach and agreed expectations. Plenaries linked to the success criteria were observed in most classes. Positive praise was evident throughout the school. There was evidence of children working alone, with a partner and in groups with the majority of learners engaged in the activities. Parents felt there was a good partnership with the school but would like communication regarding Learning and Teaching and the curriculum to improve. The school has identified the sharing of learning with parents as an area for development. 1.6 School buildings Condition: standard C (2016) Suitability: standard B (2016) The main hall area and classrooms had attractive displays which the children were able to discuss. The school building is a very traditional Victorian build with all classrooms coming off the main hall. The hall also becomes the dining hall over lunchtime. 1.7 Pastoral Care Pastoral care in the school is very strong. There was a calm and welcoming atmosphere across the school. All children are provided with opportunities to become involved in the running of their school and were happy to interact with visitors. Staff appeared relaxed and friendly with relationships between staff and pupils being very positive. Staff work well as a team to support children and establish

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respectful relationships throughout the school. Pupils and parents thought it was a good place to come and learn. There is a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing within a positive, nurturing environment. Parents and pupils stated that the children enjoyed school and felt that there were good relationships with staff. However, parents felt that their relationship with the head teacher was not as strong since the paired headship. Parents also felt that the school was very responsive to the individual needs of children. The children were aware of the SHANARRI indicators and demonstrated a basic knowledge and understanding of what they were. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have for supporting others in their learning. 1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate: 95.5% as opposed to Moray average across Primary of 95.38%. Authorised absences – 2.52% (Moray 3.7%) Unauthorised absences – 0.85% (Moray – 1%) Violence and aggression towards staff: 3 recorded involving one pupil Exclusions – nil Standards of behaviour were good in most classes and in corridors with the Head Teacher and staff having high expectations. Pupils were aware of behaviour expectations however parents were unsure of the behaviour policy and felt that sanctions were not always applied consistently. Pupils moved around calmly and demonstrated respect for the school and others. Both parents and pupils felt they could approach any member of staff should they have concerns. The older pupils taking responsibility for the younger pupils is a strength of the school. 2. School roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast The School Roll in 2016 is 59 pupils. This has decreased by 48 from 2001. The school roll is forecast to increase to 76 in 2020. 2.2 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 3 years: 2013: 1, 2014: 1, 2015: 0; 2016: 6 Inward placing requests 2016/17 - 3 2.3 Outward placing requests 2014: 1; 2015: 2; 2016:2; 2017:6 2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity The current functional capacity is 169, with the school roll at 59 they are operating at 35% capacity. 2.5 Class composition 2016 – 3 classes: all composite classes (Composite classes – P1/2/3 P4/5 and P6/7) 2.6 Number of teachers 2016 – 3.94 FTE (5 staff - includes 2.4 Teachers, 1 Principal Teacher, 0.54 Head Teacher). The Headteacher position is paired with Portgordon Primary School.

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2.7 Maximum Capacity 2016 Physical Capacity: 193 = 31% 3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil is £4,122 per year which is the third highest in the ASG for a primary school. 3.2 Financial trends At the end of session 2015-16, the school had an underspend of £18,959 which is 9.1% of the annual budget. 3.3 Financial plans N/A 4. Staff wellbeing and development 4.1 Availability of teachers The school is fully staffed. The Head Teacher is very appreciative of how flexible staff are and their support of the school. Staff work well as a team and take ownership of difficulties if they arise in her absence. 4.2 Headteacher relief time The Headteacher position is paired and so this is not applicable. 4.3 Leadership Capacity The Head Teacher uses self-evaluation effectively to identify the strengths of the school and areas for development which are shared with parents. Parents stated that they would like more involvement in developing the school. The Head Teacher is responsible for two schools in the ASG with her time being divided equally between the two establishments. 4.4 Staff development and leadership of improvement and change The staff are very committed and work well together as a team. They are supportive of each other and should continue to share practice and work collaboratively. Staff feel valued and consulted regarding school developments. The school improvement plan is created collegiately with staff, however, the role of pupils and parents could be further developed. Staff lead a number of groups to provide wider opportunities for pupils such as the gardening and basketball club, however, elements of the improvement plan could be moved forward through all staff members taking on individual responsibility through distributive leadership. 5. Accessibility 5.1 Home to school travel time All children currently attending Portknockie could be transported to a school in Buckie or Cullen in under 15 minutes.

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5.2 Distance to another suitable school There are 7 primary schools within the ASG, which includes a denominational primary school. These schools fall within 7 miles of Portknockie Primary. The secondary school for this ASG is Buckie High School. 5.3 Co-operative arrangements The staff in Portknockie Primary have taken part in literacy moderation activities within the ASG, which also involves the associated secondary school, Buckie High. They also work closely with stage partners at Portgordon Primary School. 6. Strong links with the community 6.1 Parents’ views Parents are very supportive of the school and have positive views. They are asked for their opinions through questionnaires, informal contacts such as drop-in sessions as well as school events. 6.2 Degree and quality of parental involvement Parents make helpful contributions to the work and life of the school. The Parent Council contributes to a variety of school events and are involved in fundraising projects for the school. 6.3 Contribution of the school to the community The school has strong links with the community and the local area is used to enhance learning for pupils and provide a broad range of experiences. There are links with a number of community groups which provide relevant contexts for pupils learning. The school hosts a number of community events throughout the year although there are no outside lets. Children participate in community events such as fundraising for the church. 6.4 Other provision (e.g. nursery) A partner nursery is located in a building near the school. 6.5 Multi-functional use of building N/A 6.6 Capacity in nearest schools (Buckie ASG schools only) Portessie 49%,Findochty 30%; Portgordon 43% and Cluny 74%, Millbank 49%, Cullen 64% physical capacities. Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criterion 1 Portknockie provides a sound quality of educational experience. The school falls outwith the roll and financial thresholds in criteria 2 and 3 therefore criteria 4-6 have been considered. Running costs are high.

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Recommendations

• Using the agreed criteria, it is deemed that Portknockie is not sustainable. Consideration should be given to a review of the Buckie ASG primary school estate.

Strengths

• Collaborative approach within the school and respectful relationships

• Children well behaved, polite, respectful and confident

• Welcoming, positive, nurturing environment

• Pastoral care provided by all staff

• Strong support from parents and community

• Quality learning environments

• Teachers provide a variety of opportunities which are well planned

• Pupils have no fear of failure and demonstrate resilience

Areas for Improvement

• Develop curriculum to ensure progression and relevance to the local context of the school

• Develop planning to support assessment and moderation and to track progress

• Continue to work towards consistency of Learning and Teaching across the school using the Moray Learning and Teaching Strategy

• Develop opportunities for working with partners, parents and community in relation to school improvements and Learning and Teaching.

• Develop parent and pupil voice

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Appendix 9

St. Peters Primary

1. Quality Educational Experience 1.1 Attainment Overall most children make progress in their learning across the school. In session 2014-15 and 2015-16, children’s scores in p1 PIPIS exit testing for reading sat around the Moray average. In the 2014-15 session, there was regression in reading attainment between p1 entry and exit. In maths p1 exit there was a regression in all academic sessions measured, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. P3 Incas testing from 2013 onwards shows below average results in maths, mental maths and reading. P6 INCAS reading scores were above the Moray average in 2015-16 and below from 2013–15. In mental arithmetic and general maths, results were marginally above average in 2013-14 and 2015-16. Results in the same areas were below average in 2014-15. Maths has been identified as an area for development by staff and in this regard the Principle Teacher is looking at the progression to ensure that there is more breadth and pace to learning. Teaching staff are relatively new to the school and to provide collegiate support, staff are planning together when possible. There are regular tracking meetings held between the Head Teacher and Class Teachers which identify pupils who are on track, those who are not achieving as predicted and those who are performing well. During these tracking meetings, targets for individual pupils are identified. Support for Learning is targeted as a result of tracking meetings. Support is allocated to those pupils who require additional support and also those who require additional challenge. The school provides a range of nurture activates for pupils to assist those who may have social or emotional barriers to learning. Some of these activities are timetabled during lessons and others are out with the school day. These activities include breakfast club and homework club. Staff interact with and interpret INCAS / PIPS testing in addition to classroom assessment in order to identify gaps in achievement and attainment. From this data, staff have identified that literacy in early stages is an area which requires attention. Teachers are interacting with a variety of interventions such as using soft starts to learning and computer packages which assist those with additional support needs. In addition, staff are working on developing understanding and use of Assessment Is For Learning techniques. Cross moderation has taken place with the ASG schools to support staff judgement in assessment. Staff should continue to develop joint planning opportunities to ensure that moderation takes place within planning, learning and assessment. This will continue to strengthen a shared understanding of standards. Efforts should also be made to maintain and extend working relationships with other schools both within and outwith the in the ASG. 1.2 Wider school activities The school’s values are ‘Trust, Respect, Friendship, Never Give Up’. These values along with the Faith context of the school provide an important foundation for structuring wider activities and developments. The school aims to ensure that all learning needs are met through providing a nurturing approach to learning and

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development. Pupil Voice groups exist for Rights Respecting Schools and Pupil Council. Achievements are celebrated weekly in Assembly, through inclusion in the ‘Special Mention’ board, or, by sending a postcard home. A Girls Club operates on a Tuesday for P7 girls and a range of after school clubs is provided by Active Schools. Pupils engage with the community in a range of ways to enhance learning and wider development. 1.3 ASN provision 23 pupils were recorded with additional support needs on Seemis, equating to 20.0% of the school roll, below the Moray primary school average. There is appropriate engagement with partner agencies following the Child’s Planning process where necessary. Positive work is carried out with parents to help them understand their child and their needs. Parents find waiting lists frustrating. Needs are identified through tracking meetings with class teacher, SfL testing, use of Boxall profile and being identified at an early stage by class teacher. The staff understand staged intervention. PIPS/INCAS data is used across the school and by drilling down for particular pupils. Curly Shirley profiles are used to ensure staff are aware of additional requirements pupils have. Pupils are happy to come out in groups; use of ICT programmes for literacy is a particular focus; precision teaching is used. Pupils are able to track their own progress; use is made of a department scrap book to record progression with experiences and outcomes recorded; this includes photos and examples of work. Parents feel pupils are included with many opportunities for all in e.g. Pupil Council, buddy; the school vision leads to a collaborative approach to GIRFEC and the wellbeing indicators. IEPs are updated termly with limited parent/pupil input. Parents report their children becoming more confident. More able pupils are challenged in numeracy and reading groups. Allocation of support staff fits in with termly tracking meetings involving class teacher. Tracking information is recorded on paper and kept along with assessment information. Spelling assessment is carried out annually with all pupils.

The school does not have the resources to be able to meet the most severe and complex needs.

1.4 Curriculum The school aims to provide a suitably broad and balanced curriculum and developing this area is currently one of the Schools Improvement Priorities. It has been identified that science needs to be included more within the curriculum. In this regard staff at both middle and upper stages, are currently working on introducing Stem as a collaborative learning opportunity. Development is also taking place in the use of I.C.T to support learning across the curriculum. Staff are working together to track progress across the Experiences and Outcomes covered to ensure breath within the curriculum. They are also looking collectively at how Interdisciplinary Learning is used within the school to ensure opportunities for breadth and depth are included systematically into the curriculum. Explicit links should be made so that children are aware of the numeracy and literacy skills that they are applying in unfamiliar contexts. There is an awareness of the benefits of creating opportunities to make learning relevant in terms of including local issues within learning. In this regard a variety of local organisations and groups, such as the RNLI and local old folks home have been accessed to enhance learning. Developments should continue in this area and should include consideration of how outdoor learning may feature within this context. Floor books are being used within school as a means of making

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learning visible and including pupil voice within the learning process. This is a relatively new process and future development should aim to ensure that pupils have ownership of the books. The PT is currently engaging in development work around identifying a robust progression pathway for maths. This work should be extended to ensure that all curricular areas have robust pathways in place. Time should be allocated to ensure that staff have the opportunity to engage collegiately with pathways. This would support identification of achievement of a level and inform learning conversations with pupils. In turn this will strengthen pupils ability to articulate their learning and next steps. 1.5 Learning & Teaching A variety of teaching and learning approaches were observed. Learning Intentions and Success Criteria were used for all lessons observed. Care should be taken to ensure that Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are clearly linked. This would ensure clarity on the learning being developed and the associated assessment. Including learners in identifying the Success Criteria would be beneficial in terms of facilitating pupil engagement and ownership of the learning. Differentiation was evident in some activities and lessons. Pupils from the nursery use a grassed section of school grounds for their ‘Welly Wednesday’ sessions. During the session observed pupils were engaged in free flow play between this area and the concrete playground. I.C.T was used effectively in the majority of lessons to facilitate and extend learning. 1.6 School buildings Condition: standard C (2016) Suitability: standard B The General Purposes room is used for the Breakfast Club and has a fitted kitchen to facilitate this. The room also has a number of laptops so can be used for teaching and learning purposes. All classrooms are bright and airy and appear well maintained. There is a large area which would previously have been two separate classrooms which accommodates the nursery. The nursery has 40 pupils in the morning and 40 pupils in the afternoon session. There is a small office which is used to house books and provides a desk space which can facilitate individual work. The school benefits from a large outdoor concrete play area. 1.7 Pastoral Care There is a strong community atmosphere within the school and positive relationships between pupils and staff. Children are happy and feel looked after. They speak highly of staff and are confident that they would have someone to talk to if they had a problem. Pupils enjoy being on the Pupil Council and feel that their opinions are taken into consideration. Parents and staff talk positively about the impact that being a Faith school has on the school community. There is regular interaction with the church and this, along with the positive behaviour expectations within the school ensure that pupils feel safe and secure. 1.8 Attendance, exclusions & pupil behaviour Attendance rate: 95.3% as opposed to Moray average across Primary of 95.4%. Violence and aggression towards staff: 2 incidents involving 2 different pupils Exclusions – 3 exclusion incidents involving 2 different pupils

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Good standards of behaviour were evident in classes and in corridors and play areas during the visit 2. School roll 2.1 Roll and roll forecast The School Roll in 2016 is 115 pupils. This has increased by 68 from 2001 (increase of 47). The school roll is forecast to increase to 134 in 2020 (increase of 19). This will not impact on the number of classes required which is currently 4. The current functional capacity is 125, currently operating at 92%. 2.2 Inward placing requests Net placings over last 3 years: 2013: 0, 2014: 0, 2015: 0. 2015-16: no placing request. 2.3 Outward placing requests 2015-16: no outward placing requests. 2.4 Roll as percentage of capacity 2016 School Roll - 115 / Functional Capacity 125 = 92% 2.5 Class composition 2016 – 5 classes: 1 single stage and 4 composite classes (Classes: Composite – P2/3, P3/4, P4/5/6 & P6/7)

2.6 Number of teachers 2016 – 8 FTE (8 staff) (7 teachers, 1 Head Teacher) 2.7 School roll 2016 School Roll: 115 (73% of physical capacity of 158) 3. Financial position 3.1 Budgeted running cost The cost per pupil in 2016/17 was £3,161. This is second lowest across the eight primary schools in the ASG 3.2 Financial trends At the end of 2015/16 there was an underspend of 4.97%. 3.3 Financial plans The Head Teacher uses her budget to support the development of the curriculum and providing staffing support to meet all learning needs. 4 Staff wellbeing and development 4.1 Availability of teachers The school is fully staffed, including an NQT

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4.2 Head teacher relief time The Head Teacher has used her budget to ensure that she is non-class committed. 4.3 Leadership capacity Staff are keen to develop their own professional skill set and to impact positively on school developments. Staff, including support staff, assume leadership responsibilities for groups and activities. Teachers are beginning to plan collegiately and this should be encouraged. The Principle teacher has taken leadership with regard to developing aspects of the Curriculum. Pupils benefit from leadership opportunities including Pupil Council and Rights Respecting Schools Group. Pupil leadership in learning is evident through aspects of Assessment Is for Learning. This should be developed further and a consistent approach taken throughout the school. Pupils would benefit from being involved in discussing ‘what makes good’ and ensuring that their ‘voice’ is heard in this area as well as being more fully involved in planning learning. Parents speak positively about the school and the experiences that are provided for learners. Parents also spoke in positive terms of the faith aspect of the school and the positive impact this has on children’s wellbeing. It would be useful to consider engaging parents more in learning discussions in order that they are empowered to facilitate and support learning. The Head Teacher should continue to ensure that all partners recognise that they have an important part to play in leadership. 4.4 Staff development and leadership of improvement and change Self-evaluation and reflection within the school is carried out against evaluation of PIPS and INCAS data as well as other assessment sources. Staff have an understanding this data and can use it to plan for learning and teaching and making interventions. This should be encouraged and supported in order to ensure that aspects of good practice and shared throughout the school. 5. Accessibility 5.1 Home to school travel time The closest school to St. Peters is Cluny Primary which rests within a mile of St. Peters. 5.2 Distance to another suitable school There are 5 other Buckie ASG schools within 7 miles of St. Peters Primary. St. Peters is the only denominational school in the ASG. 5.3 Co-operative arrangements The staff at St. Peters have taken part in literacy moderation activities within the ASG which involve the associated secondary school, Buckie High. 6. Strong links with the community 6.1 Parents’ views Parents are supportive of the school and have positive views. They are asked for their opinions through questionnaires and through informal contacts such as drop-in sessions and school events.

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6.2 Degree and quality of parental involvement Parents make contributions to the work and life of the school. The Parent Council contributes to a variety of school activities and speak positively about the wellbeing of pupils and the engagement of the church. It would be useful to think about how the Parent Council can be included in developing aspects of the curriculum and learning & teaching. 6.3 Contribution of the school to the community The school has good links with the community and interacts with a number of local groups to support learning. 6.4 Other provision (e.g. nursery) The school runs a morning and afternoon nursery. There are 40 pupils in both sessions. 6.5 Multi-functional use of building The school is used as a polling station during elections. 6.6 Capacity in nearest schools (Buckie ASG schools only) Portessie 49%,Findochty 30%; Portknockie 35% and Cluny 74%, Millbank 49%, Cullen 64% physical capacities. Conclusions On the basis of the evaluations of criterion 1 St Peter’s provides a sound quality of educational experience. The school falls outwith the roll and financial thresholds in criteria 2 and 3 therefore criteria 4-6 have been considered. As the only denominational school to cover the Buckie area and due to a rising roll, the school is deemed to be sustainable. Recommendations

• Should demand for placings at this school rise and given that capacity at Cluny is near the maximum, thought should be given if Buckie High rebuild to consider to the viability of Nursery provision remaining at St Peters or split with a new build Cluny Primary School.

Strengths

• Ensuring that resources are used creatively to meet the needs of all pupils.

• The strong sense of community within the school and a clear focus on core values.

• The ability of pupils to talk positively about their school and their willingness to learn and support each other in their learning.

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• The supportive parent body and the strong links with the community to develop and enhance learning.

• The staff team who work collegiately and collaboratively to support each other and develop as professionals.

• The continuity of experience for pupils who attend school nursery and the links made between the nursery and the life and work of the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Ensure that robust curricular pathways exist for all curricular areas and that staff are familiar with these and how they connect with the Curriculum rationale and design.

• Continue to encourage staff collaboration to extend and develop a shared understanding of achievement of a level.

• Embrace moderation activities both within and out with the immediate school context to ensure a robust understanding and approach.

• Ensure that aspects of good practice are shared.

• Continue to engage with formative assessment practices and ensure that these operate consistently within the school to support teacher judgment and pupil voice.